Washington DC – Yesterday, Dr. Andy Harris (R-MD), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calling for the public release of detailed information on the scientific justification for major, costly Clean Air Act regulations.
Addressed to Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy of EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, the letter follows up on questions from Dr. Harris at the Committee’s September 15 hearing on EPA’s Cross –State Air Pollution Rule. The letter asks for the analysis used in establishing imprecise EPA health estimates, more information on potential double-counting of benefits associated with reductions in fine particulate matter, and the basic epidemiological data sets that form the basis for EPA’s regulations and press releases.
The letter states that “in light of the pivotal role of this publically-funded research in providing a justification for major EPA regulations, it is imperative that associated data and analysis be open and transparent to allow for sufficient scientific and technical review.”
“This information is especially necessary considering the confusing statements yesterday by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson that particulate matter ‘does not make you sick. It is directly causal to dying sooner than you should’ and that ‘if we could reduce particulate matter to healthy levels, it would have the same impact as finding a cure for cancer,’” explained Dr. Harris. He added that “decades of environmental and health improvements reveal that these EPA claims are designed to frighten Americans into supporting a regulatory agenda against affordable energy.”
To watch Assistant Administrator McCarthy commit to providing this data to Chairman Harris CLICK HERE
To read the full letter CLICK HERE