Bill Text: GA HR1367 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congress; prohibit Environmental Protection Agency from further regulating greenhouse gas emissions without study; urge

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 6-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2012-03-21 - House Passed/Adopted [HR1367 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2011-HR1367-Introduced.html

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12 LC 93 0630

House Resolution 1367

By: Representatives Geisinger of the 48th, Smith of the 70th, Martin of the 47th, Riley of the 50th, Williams of the 113th, and others

A RESOLUTION

Urging Congress to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from further regulating greenhouse gas emissions without a comprehensive economic and environmental study; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the Georgia House of Representatives supports reasonable and responsible air quality regulations that take all factors, both economic and environmental, into account for the benefit of the citizens of Georgia; and

WHEREAS, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed or is proposing numerous new regulations, particularly in the area of air quality and regulation of greenhouse gases, that will have major effects on consumers, the economy, jobs, and U.S. competitiveness in worldwide markets, especially in Georgia; and

WHEREAS, concern is growing that, with cap-and-trade legislation having failed in Congress, the EPA is attempting to obtain the same results through the adoption of numerous concurrent regulations; and

WHEREAS, the EPA's proposed over-reaching regulations will drive jobs and industry out of Georgia and much of the United States in general; and

WHEREAS, the EPA has not undertaken any comprehensive study of the cumulative effect of the proposed new regulatory activity on consumers, the economy, jobs, competitiveness, and system reliability; and

WHEREAS, the EPA has not performed any comprehensive study of what the environmental benefits of its recently enacted and proposed emissions (new versus existing) and greenhouse regulations will be in terms of impact on regional air and water quality or global climate change; and

WHEREAS, state agencies in Georgia are routinely required to identify the costs of their regulations and to justify those costs relative to the benefits; and

WHEREAS, since the EPA has identified "taking action on climate change and improving air quality" as its first strategic goal for the 2011-15 time period, it should be required to identify the specific actions it intends to take to achieve these goals and to assess the total cost of all these actions together; and

WHEREAS, the South is rich in natural resources, and has historically provided more than half of our nation's energy supply; and

WHEREAS, more than 85 percent of our nation's energy supply comes from coal, natural gas, and crude oil, and the greatest regional supplier of these three fuels is the South; and

WHEREAS, based on a 2008 Bureau of Labor Statistics study, seven of the top ten states ranked by manufacturing jobs per capita are in the South; and

WHEREAS, the Georgia House of Representatives supports continuing improvements in the quality of the nation's air but believes that such improvements can be made in a sensible fashion without damaging consumers and the economy so long as there is a full understanding of the cost benefit of the regulations at issue; and

WHEREAS, the primary goal of government at this time must be to promote economic recovery and to foster a stable and predictable business environment that will lead to the creation of jobs.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body urge Congress to adopt legislation prohibiting the EPA by any means necessary from regulating greenhouse gas emissions or enacting any new air quality regulations without first undertaking a comprehensive study of the environmental and economic impact of the regulations, and requiring the Obama Administration to undertake a further study to identify all regulatory activity that the EPA intends to undertake in the furtherance of its goals.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to each member of the Georgia congressional delegation.