EPA Retreats on Air Quality Standards After Rep. Lesko Steps In

By Matthew Holloway |

Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) has successfully intervened to halt the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to classify Maricopa County’s ozone status as ‘serious’ nonattainment under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Lesko raised alarms that the agency’s decision was politically motivated, possibly influenced by the impending change in administration.

In a press release, Lesko’s office stated that EPA Administrator Michael Regan agreed to reassess the agency’s earlier decision to reclassify the county’s status “prematurely.”

In her correspondence with the EPA, Lesko warned against expediting this decision before the transition to the Trump Administration. She emphasized the potential negative consequences for Arizona’s economic security, particularly regarding funding awarded to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Lesko asserted, “This action by the EPA could jeopardize that funding and makes absolutely no sense.”

Lesko expressed her concern that the reclassification lacked grounding in law or scientific evidence, suggesting that it was driven by political factors. She articulated, “The reason for this change is not clear to me, but I am concerned that this action was taken based upon the political reality of the upcoming administration change.”

Furthermore, she highlighted a 180-day window from August 3, 2024, mandated for redesignation, arguing that the EPA’s expedited timeline conflicted with this requirement. Lesko called for stability and consistency within regulatory frameworks, urging federal agencies to avoid making changes based on shifts in political power.

The proposed reclassification would have significantly tightened emission thresholds for Maricopa County, reducing the limit for major sources of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds from 100 tons to 50 tons. Such changes raised concerns about their impact on TSMC’s operations in Phoenix, particularly in obtaining necessary air quality permits.

Lesko explained, “TMSC’s new plant requires an air quality permit to proceed. The current major source threshold of 100 tons would allow TSMC to proceed without needing to acquire emission reduction credits (ERCs). However, a redesignation to serious nonattainment would impose the 50-ton threshold, which is currently unfeasible due to the shortage of available ERCs.”

On social media, Congresswoman Lesko celebrated the outcome of her appeal, stating, “Great news! Following my letter to the EPA sent earlier this week and after working with Senator Kelly and the governor’s office, our office has now heard from the EPA they will no longer move forward with the decision to prematurely reclassify Maricopa County to ‘serious’ nonattainment status for their ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). This is wonderful news!”

Matthew Holloway is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories or contact him via email at Matthew@azfreenews.com.