New Ozone Rules Could Be the Most Expensive Ever

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should not change the current ozone standards. The U.S. government has a responsibility to keep federal regulations sensible and not change standards on businesses and consumers needlessly.  Despite having spent billions of dollars on reducing air pollution, several metropolitan areas are having a very tough time meeting the current standards. The EPA should focus on helping these communities meet the old standards before placing new standards.

Tightening ozone standards could increase costs to the American public, reduce America’s ability to compete internationally, and threaten American jobs. The recent study by NERA Economic Consulting found that a stricter ozone regulation could reduce U.S. GDP by $270 billion per year and $3.4 trillion from 2017 to 2040 and result in 2.9 million fewer jobs or job equivalents per year on average through 2040.

The nation’s air quality has improved over the past several years, and ozone emissions will continue to decline without new regulations. These new standards are not justified from a health perspective because the science is simply not showing a need to reduce ozone levels.

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