U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs said that Congress must act to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from penalizing Arizona or any state for emissions originating outside their borders. The statement follows the passage of the FENCES Act in the U.S. House.
The issue is significant for Arizona, where a large portion of ozone pollution comes from sources beyond state control. As reported by AZFamilly, roughly 80% of the ozone impacting the Phoenix area originates outside the region from natural events and international sources, such as Mexico and Southeast Asia. These uncontrollable factors continue to affect air quality designations for fast-growing communities in the state.
“Congress must act so no future EPA can arbitrarily punish Arizona — or any state — for emissions beyond our borders,” He said in a social media post. “That’s why the U.S. House passed the FENCES Act to protect jobs, support investment, and ensure environmental rules focus on what states can actually control.”
According to Congress.gov, the Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability (FENCES) Act passed in the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 220-208 on April 16. The legislation amends the Clean Air Act to exclude foreign emissions and natural events from state compliance calculations and new facility permitting reviews.
Biggs has represented Arizona’s Fifth Congressional District since 2017 and previously served in both chambers of the Arizona legislature, including as president of the Arizona Senate. He is known as a longtime advocate for limiting federal regulatory overreach on states, according to his official website.
