The Western Governors Association has urged the EPA to take a “balanced, holistic approach” in determining whether to adjust the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
The Governors Association’s comments, shared on March 17, 2015, were in response to EPA’s proposed rule, National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Ozone (79 FR 75233, December 17, 2014). In 2008, EPA strengthened the NAAQS for ground-level ozone from 0.084 parts-per-million (ppm) to 0.075 ppm. In some western states, implementation of the 2008 standard is still ongoing. Now EPA is under a court-imposed deadline to retain or revise the 2008 standard by Oct. 1, 2015.
The comments note that “Western Governors recognize the critical importance of maintaining good air quality …and appreciate the opportunity to work with EPA to achieve this objective.” As stated in WGA Policy Resolution 2014-13: State Clean Air Act Authority and Air Quality Regulation, the Governors believe EPA “should engage the states as co-regulators … in the development of any EPA rule promulgated under the Clean Air Act (CAA).”
The Governors conclude that EPA must “take a balanced, holistic approach, in determining whether or not to adjust the NAAQS.” Should EPA seek to establish a stricter NAAQS for ground-level ozone, “implementation in the West would require a better understanding of the role contributory factors – including factors unique to the region – play in this process.”