Hoeven seeks end to EPA’s changes to particulate matter standards

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) and 45 U.S. Senate Republicans want to rescind national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) recently set by the Biden administration.

The senators on March 14 proposed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution sponsored by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) that calls for ending new changes made by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the particulate matter (PM2.5) NAAQS.

“This CRA would stop the EPA’s unnecessary government overreach,” said Sen. Hoeven, a cosponsor of Senate Joint Resolution 65, which disapproves of the final rule set on Feb. 7 by the EPA that tightens NAAQS for PM2.5, reducing the current standard of 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air to 9 micrograms per cubic meter of air.

The EPA said in a summary of its final rule that it was making the NAAQS change to provide increased public health protection, consistent with the available health science. 

But according to Sen. Hoeven, “the Biden administration has finalized another burdensome regulation that sets unattainable standards and would cause regulatory strain on critical U.S. industries, including energy development and manufacturing.”

In turn, “this means higher costs for Americans, less energy security, and more off-shoring of good jobs,” he said.

Additional cosponsors of the Senate resolution include U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mike Rounds (R-SD), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN).

The CRA resolution has been referred to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for consideration.