HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 7
(By Delegates Pettit, Kuhn, Walters, Williams and Tucker)
(Originating in the Committee on Industry and Labor)
[February 26, 1997]
Requesting the Congress of the United States to enact
legislation that requires the Administrator of the United
States Environmental Protection Agency to maintain the
current National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and
fine particulate matter until there is a thorough review by
the scientific community as well as a thorough,
scientifically valid and comprehensive cost-benefit
analysis, where appropriate, of the impact of any proposed
changes to the current standards.
Whereas, Ambient air quality, regulated under the federal
Clean Air Act, has improved substantially since 1970 in West
Virginia, and will continue to improve as the Clean Air Act
amendments of 1990 are implemented to further reduce pollutants;
and
Whereas, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which
periodically reviews the National Ambient Air Quality Standards,
proposes revisions to those standards that could increase the
number of areas in West Virginia considered to be in
nonattainment with federal air quality standards; and
Whereas, Nonattainment with federal air quality standards
could have a serious economic impact in West Virginia and may
result in severe restrictions on economic development, loss of
jobs and in a potential loss of federal highways funds; and
Whereas, Substantial scientific uncertainties surround the
determination of causality for potential adverse health effects
that may be associated with exposure to fine particulates; and,
Whereas, There is little existing data regarding the
monitoring of fine particulate matter; and,
Whereas, The Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air
Science Advisory Committee has not determined that there are
significant public health benefits associated with revising the
standards on ozone and fine particulate matter; and
Whereas, West Virginia, through its Legislature, citizens,
businesses and regulatory agencies, worked hard to reduce air
pollution and to meet clean air requirements, resulting in all
counties in the state currently being in compliance with the
present standards for ozone and particulate matter; and
Whereas, tThe coal, chemical, primary metals, electric utility
and other West Virginia industries who already have expended
considerable resources and suffered negative impacts resulting
from programs designed to meet the existing requirements of the
Clean Air Act could be subjected to further negative impacts
resulting from the proposed standards; and
Whereas, West Virginia is a major source of electric
generation and stands to benefit from proposed electric utility
deregulation, a benefit that could be significantly lessened by
the resulting increase in the cost of electric service to the
citizens and businesses of the state due to the proposed
standards; and
Whereas, tThe development of the economy in this state has
historically faced significant obstacles, and recent economic development indicators demonstrate that West Virginia is poised
for growth while maintaining present air quality standards;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Congress of the United States is requested to
enact legislation that requires the Administrator of the United
States Environmental Protection Agency to maintain the current
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and fine
particulate matter until there is a thorough review by the
scientific community, as well as a thorough, scientifically
valid and comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, where
appropriate, of the impact of the proposed changes to the
current standards; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates
shall, immediately upon its adoption, transmit duly
authenticated copies of this resolution to the Speaker and the
Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the
President Pro Tempore and the Secretary of the United States
Senate, the members of the West Virginia congressional
delegation and the Administrator of the EPA.