Clear the Air with Congress Act of 2014

Clear the Air with Congress Act of 2014 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to submit to Congress a report, made available to the public, before issuing any rule proposing a new or revised: (1) primary national ambient air quality (NAAQ) standard for ozone (for pollutants considered harmful to public health), or (2) secondary NAAQ standard for ozone (for pollutants considered harmful to public welfare).

Requires the report to contain:

• the proposed standard (in parts per million),
• all scientific and technical data relied upon to support the proposed standard in a manner sufficient for independent analysis and substantial reproduction of results,
• a description of all technologies and strategies that may be utilized to achieve the standard and their costs,
• an economic impact analysis estimating the total costs of the standard,
• a list of each U.S. area of the United States that would exceed the standard for ozone and thereby receive a nonattainment designation for ozone under the Act, and
• an identification of the level of ground level ozone in each U.S. county that is naturally occurring or produced outside of the United States.

Requires the EPA to consider the cost and economic and technological feasibility of attaining the standard when establishing a NAAQ standard for ozone.

Prohibits a NAAQ standard for ozone from taking effect unless a federal statute is enacted approving it.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5665 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5665

  To promote transparent, collaborative, and cost-effective national 
ambient air quality standards for ozone under the Clean Air Act and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 18, 2014

Mr. Weber of Texas (for himself, Mr. Smith of Texas, Mr. Sessions, Mr. 
  Farenthold, Mr. Brady of Texas, Mr. Carter, and Mr. Sam Johnson of 
    Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To promote transparent, collaborative, and cost-effective national 
ambient air quality standards for ozone under the Clean Air Act and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Clear the Air with Congress Act of 
2014''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS FOR OZONE.

    (a) Report to Congress Prior To Proposing New Standard.--Not less 
than 180 days before issuance of any rule proposing a new or revised 
national primary or secondary ambient air quality standard for ozone 
under section 109 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7409), the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall submit to 
Congress and make publically available a report that contains each of 
the following:
            (1) The standard (in parts per million) to be proposed.
            (2) All scientific and technical data relied upon to 
        support the proposed standard in a manner that is sufficient 
        for independent analysis and substantial reproduction of 
        results.
            (3) A description of all technologies and strategies that 
        may be utilized to achieve the standard and the direct and 
        indirect costs of such technologies and strategies.
            (4) An economic impact analysis that estimates the total 
        costs of the standard, including--
                    (A) the impact to gross domestic product and 
                employment by State;
                    (B) the cost of wholesale and retail electricity by 
                State; and
                    (C) total compliance costs by State.
            (5) A list of each area of the United States, including 
        each county, that would be in nonattainment under the standard.
            (6) An identification of the level of ground level ozone in 
        each county of the United States that is naturally occurring or 
        produced outside of the United States.
    (b) Consideration of Economic and Technological Feasibility.--In 
establishing a national primary or secondary ambient air quality 
standard for ozone under section 109 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
7409), the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall 
take into consideration the cost and economic and technological 
feasibility of attaining such standard.
    (c) Approval by Law of National Ambient Air Quality Standards for 
Ozone.--A national primary or secondary ambient air quality standard 
for ozone under section 109 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7409) shall 
not take effect unless a Federal statute is enacted approving such 
standard.
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