VIDEO: REP. JENKINS: “THE EPA IS AT IT AGAIN”

WASHINGTON – A new EPA rule will hurt West Virginia’s economy and make it harder to attract new employers, U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.) said on the House floor Wednesday.

“Counties not in compliance with the new standard could find it even harder to attract and build new developments. In southern West Virginia, that means we might not be able to redevelop our former mine sites to full productivity and potential. It could even halt the much-needed Hobet mine redevelopment,” he said.

“Noncompliant counties also might not be able to build even new highways. For southern West Virginia, that could mean long-planned highway projects are put on the back burner again.”

Later Wednesday, the House will vote to delay implementation of the EPA’s new ozone standard. H.R. 4775, the Ozone Standards Implementation Act, would delay implementation of the revised National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone until 2025.

Please click here to watch Rep. Jenkins' speech.

The full transcript is below.

“Mr. Speaker, the EPA is at it again. It’s writing yet another rule that will hurt our economy and could make it harder for us to build new roads and create jobs.

“In this economy, when West Virginia has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, the last thing we need is more red tape. We don’t need more bureaucrats getting in the way of our state’s ability to develop our resources.

“The new ozone standards the EPA wants to impose on states would hurt manufacturing, drilling, mining, and agricultural operations, hurting the families who depend on these jobs.

“The EPA is ratcheting up its ozone standards on states. Most states and counties haven’t even met the 2008 ozone standard, and now the bar is being raised again. This is unrealistic.

“Counties not in compliance with the new standard could find it even harder to attract and build new developments. In southern West Virginia, that means we might not be able to redevelop our former mine sites to full productivity and potential. It could even halt the much-needed Hobet mine redevelopment.

“Noncompliant counties also might not be able to build even new highways. For southern West Virginia, that could mean long-planned highway projects are put on the back burner again.

“This week we’ll vote in the House on a bill to put the brakes on the EPA’s latest actions. We’ll give the states time to catch up before the EPA tries to impose yet another standard. We will protect public health while ensuring implementation of new ozone standards that don’t cripple our economy. This is a commonsense bill that deserves bipartisan support.

“Mr. Speaker, I yield back.”