WASHINGTON – American Wood Council (AWC) President and CEO Robert Glowinski and American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statements following the organizations’ joint testimony at today’s House Committee on Science, Space and Technology hearing on impact and achievability of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) ozone standard.

Robert Glowinski, President and CEO, AWC:
“We support clean air and realistic, science-based air quality standards. However, a further restriction is not justified because the health effects evidence for ozone has not changed significantly since EPA last tightened the ozone NAAQS in 2008. In fact, EPA just published the 2008 Ozone Implementation rule earlier this month, seven years after it set the new standard.  So before EPA again changes the rules, the 2008 standard should first be fully implemented by the states and its impacts assessed before the goal posts are moved once more.”  
 
Donna Harman, President and CEO, AF&PA:
“The costs of further tightening the standard are significant when there is such scientific uncertainty. EPA’s own cost benefit analysis would make the ozone rule one of the most expensive air regulations ever. The proposed revisions could place most of the country in nonattainment, putting five times more paper and wood product mills at risk.”