SECOND REGULAR SESSION

House Concurrent Resolution No. 73

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES FALLERT (Sponsor), FISCHER (107) AND TILLEY (Co-sponsors).

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            Whereas, on January 6, 2010, the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued proposed new national ambient air quality standards for ground-level ozone that would lower the eight-hour primary ozone standard that it recommended less than just two years ago; and

            Whereas, the current standard of .075 parts per million was established to meet the goal of protecting public health and the environment and undertaking the process to revise the standard less than two years later is premature; and

            Whereas, the proposed new lower ozone standard will likely push a greater number of more predominantly rural areas in Missouri into "nonattainment" status; and

            Whereas, the more stringent environmental compliance measures that apply to areas designated as "nonattainment" will result in higher costs of doing business in these rural areas which would be crippling to economic growth and job creation; and

            Whereas, because rural and metropolitan areas have uniquely different characteristics, the approach used to address air quality in rural areas should not necessarily be the same approach as that used in metropolitan areas:

            Now, therefore, be it resolved that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-fifth General Assembly, Second Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby urge the United States Environmental Protection Agency to not lower the eight-hour primary ozone standard from its current standard; and

            Be it further resolved that the Missouri General Assembly urges the United States Environmental Protection Agency to utilize a separate designation for rural nonattainment areas, rather than including the rural areas into neighboring metropolitan nonattainment areas; and

            Be it further resolved that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for the President of the United States, Lisa Jackson, the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the members of the Missouri Congressional delegation.

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