American Petroleum Institute applauds ozone standards bill

The American Petroleum Institute (API) recently issued a press release applauding the House Energy and Commerce Committee for advancing the Ozone Standards Implementation Act, which provides additional flexibility to states in implementing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

“The U.S. energy renaissance has proven that we can lead the world in the production and refining of oil and natural gas, while lowering carbon emissions and ozone levels,” API Senior Director of Regulatory & Scientific Affairs Howard Feldman said. “Prioritizing this legislation is another step in the right direction for making the economic, jobs and consumer benefits of oil and natural gas achievable.”

The bill, introduced by Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX), would revise how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) addresses ground-level ozone requirements under the Clean Air Act. Currently, the EPA reviews standards every five years, which can cause new standards to be issues before older ones are implemented. The Ozone Standards Implementation Act would extend this timeframe to 10 years.

“API is committed to working with Congress and EPA to continue improvements to air quality and we are hopeful that the full House will quickly pass this forward-thinking legislation,” Feldman said.