Blog: Recently Proposed Ozone Standards are Bad News for Arkansas

Statement

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a set of proposed ozone standards that will be the most stringent in history and will put our state's ability to produce low-cost power in jeopardy. What's worse, the EPA has done little to demonstrate any benefit these new regulations would have on our long-term environmental health. A study by the National Association of Manufacturers found that these new ozone regulations could cost Arkansas over $240 million in compliance costs, put further pressure on our state's coal fired power plants, and result in the loss of more than 10,000 jobs--at a time when too many Arkansans are underemployed or out of work. But that's not all, take a look at the list below for more information on what these regulations would mean for the Natural State.

Arkansas could experience 10,489 lost jobs annually

An across the board rise in energy costs that will ultimately cost consumers more--sometimes nearly $500 more annually.

Arkansas would face a $19 million increase in costs for residents to own or operate their vehicles--including cars, trucks, and 18-wheelers.

Three quarters of Arkansas's coal-fired power plants would be forced to shutdown permanently.

Rest assured that I will continue to look for ways to fight back against EPA's overregulation.

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