EPA's New Ozone Standards Threaten Local Economies, Could Halt New Business

May 12, 2010

Dear Fellow Nevadans,

The Environmental Protections Agency (EPA) is proposing, under the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), to lower the Federal standard for county ground-level ozone from the 2008 mandate of 75 parts per billion (ppb) to 60-70 ppb. This reduced threshold for ground level ozone will put both Clark and Washoe County in a position of perpetual non-attainment, severely limiting our ability to foster business growth and expand job opportunities.

Efforts to comply with these more stringent standards will cost our businesses, our citizens, and our county governments millions of dollars we can ill afford. We will be forced to stifle development, rather than encourage it.

We need to ward off the implementation of this ruling until our economy improves and we can better absorb the costs associated with compliance. The EPA’s own estimates indicate that the cost of this new standard nationwide will be as high as $90 billion. This is too high a price to pay in a time of dwindling resources and massive cutbacks.

I encourage you to contact your Federal Representatives in regards to this very important issue.

Sincerely, 

Favil West 

Nevada Energy Forum Co-Chair                                   

Tony Clark

Nevada Energy Forum Co-Chair