Petersen and Toma Sue Biden EPA over Unattainable Air Rules

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14) and House Speaker Ben Toma joined with the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry to fight what they are describing as “a dangerous new air quality rule” that sets “unattainable environmental goals.” The rule, dubbed “Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter,” imposes “incredibly stringent regulations of fine particles within the air.” Although the goal of the new rules appears to focus on vehicle emissions in support of Biden’s push for electric vehicles, Arizona faces additional challenges due to its frequent wildfires. Only 16% of the state’s particulate matter is attributed to power generation and industrial activity. The majority, approximately 43%, is caused by natural wildfires. The suit, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, attempts to stop the rule’s implementation.

A Senate press release issued earlier today outlines some of the potential fallout resulting from the new rules:

• New infrastructure construction that would improve safety and travel times for Arizonans will be halted
• Permits for new manufacturing facilities, especially in Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima counties, will be blocked
• Small businesses will be required to pay for expensive new equipment, with those costs being passed to
  customers
• As many as eight additional counties within Arizona could be out of compliance, threatening the state’s
  economic growth and prosperity
• Investments in new facilities will be sent to foreign countries with less stringent regulations, which will
  force jobs overseas and create a greater reliance on adversary nations

President Petersen added, “The Biden administration should be rewarding American businesses for being the most environmentally friendly in the world. Instead, they are doubling down on their left-wing agenda. This rule is bad for Arizona, its citizens, and our small businesses. The EPA should focus on mitigating wildfires, the primary source of this pollution. This rule will create unnecessary hardships for job creators and hardworking Arizonans. It will detrimentally impact our power grid and create even more red tape for both small and large businesses. We have no choice but to ask the courts to provide relief from this tyrannical, arbitrary, and illegal move by the EPA.”

You can read the full text of the press release here.