1775L.01I

Whereas, on January 29, 2001, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in the case of Sierra Club v. Browner ordered the United States Environmental Protection Agency to decide by March 12, 2001, whether the St. Louis area is in serious violation of standards for ozone air pollution; and

Whereas, since the court was barred from ordering the Environmental Protection Agency to find the St. Louis area in "serious" violation, the question of what the EPA will ultimately decide to do is still open; and

Whereas, a "serious" designation by the Environmental Protection Agency for the St. Louis area would be significant for the region because it could deter the development of new industries in the region by requiring more costly and restrictive air pollution controls on industry aimed at improving air quality as well as imposing penalties, such as the withholding of federal highway dollars; and

Whereas, the state of Missouri and its citizens have worked hard to improve the St. Louis area's air quality though such steps as the use of reformulated gasoline, the implementation of stricter industry controls on emissions, improvements in mass transit, a vehicle inspection program that started in April 2000 and the placement of nozzles on gas pumps to collect gas fumes; and

Whereas, last year, the Environmental Protection Agency agreed to give the St. Louis area until November of 2003 to meet the ozone standards and any reduction in that time frame would be unfair to the citizens of St. Louis and the state who have worked so diligently to improve the air quality:

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-first General Assembly, First Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby urge the United States Environmental Protection Agency to provide the St. Louis area with the time promised last year to meet the ozone standards before making its determination as to whether the area is in serious violation of standards for ozone air pollution; and

Be it further resolved that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for President George Bush, EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, Governor Bob Holden and each member of the Missouri congressional delegation.