[20180426]IN10891_白宫指示EPA审查空气质量标准和许可程序.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i White House Directs EPA to Review Air Quality Standards and Permitting Process name redacted Analyst in Environmental Policy April 26, 2018 A new White House memorandum directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review and streamline Clean Air Act implementation. Its stated aims are to protect air quality “while reducing unnecessary impediments to new manufacturing and business expansion.” Since 2011, congressional actions on air quality issues have centered on EPAs regulatory authority, including EPAs 2015 revision to ozone air quality standards. Two recent billsH.R. 806 and S. 263would, among other things, delay designation of areas not meeting the ozone standards and extend EPAs review period for air quality standards from every five years to 10. This Insight summarizes the memorandums directives and discusses considerations for Congress. Background The Clean Air Act seeks to protect human health and the environment from air pollution. The provisions most relevant to the memorandum include those that establish health-based air quality standards, address interstate and international emis