House Committee Challenges EPA

The House Science, Space and Technology Committee hosted a hearing last week to review the absence of scientific and technical data justification for some EPA regulations.

Witnesses at the hearing included representatives focused on the environment for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Association of Manufacturers, as well as a representative from an environmental firm.

Witnesses focused on three EPA proposals: the Clean Power Plan; the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone; and the Waters of the United States regulation, also known as the Clean Water Rule.

The witnesses testified that the EPA rules will have significant legal and economic effects on Americans, particularly the Clean Water Rule, which they describe as a dramatic increase in regulatory power.

The EPA has claimed “unprecedented jurisdiction over many different kinds of water, including those that temporarily result from a ‘drizzle,’ and areas that are not always filled with water,” said Sen. Lamar Smith (R-TX), who led the hearing. “Under this regulatory regime, Americans will be subject to required permits and the constant threat of government intervention. The onslaught of EPA regulations continues.” S