OREANDA-NEWS. June 09, 2016. API applauded the House passage of the Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2016?. The legislation will provide common-sense approaches for implementing national ambient air quality standards and setting new standards, saving states from unnecessary and potentially costly ozone obligations required by the Obama administration. 

“Our nation’s air has been getting cleaner without costly new regulations, and even before states have fully implemented existing standards the administration ignored science and advanced changes to the ozone standards,” said API Executive Vice President Louis Finkel. “Now that the House has passed this bipartisan common-sense measure, we hope the Senate will soon follow.”

Ground level ozone in the U.S. declined by 18 percent between 2000 and 2013, according to EPA data. Additionally, the United States is leading the world in reducing carbon emissions while producing record levels of energy.

“Tightening the standards will not improve air quality any faster, but these regulations could hurt jobs and the economy by imposing unachievable emission reduction requirements on many parts of the nation,” Finkel said. “Operating under such stringent requirements could stifle new investment and impair our nation’s economic future.”

EPA’s new standard could cost businesses billions and harm job growth in 958 counties across the nation, according to an API analysis of EPA data. That’s up from just 217 counties at the previous ozone standards.

API thanked Reps. Bill Flores (R-Texas), Pete Olson (R-Texas), and Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) for their leadership on this important legislation.  

API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, which supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy. API’s more than 650 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. They provide most of the nation’s energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 30 million Americans.