SF 1867

as introduced - 80th Legislature (1997 - 1998) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                             A resolution
  1.2             memorializing the United States Environmental 
  1.3             Protection Agency to exempt the State of Minnesota 
  1.4             from its scheduled State Implementation calls on 
  1.5             regional transport of ozone.  
  1.6      
  1.7      WHEREAS, in 1995, the United States Environmental 
  1.8   Protection Agency (EPA), prompted by the northeastern states, 
  1.9   created the 37-state Ozone Transport Assessment Group, which was 
  1.10  given the task of recommending control measures to EPA to 
  1.11  address ozone transport in serious and severe ozone 
  1.12  nonattainment areas; and 
  1.13     WHEREAS, the modeling that has been conducted by the Ozone 
  1.14  Transport Assessment Group and also through the Minnesota 
  1.15  Pollution Control Agency concludes that Minnesota's contribution 
  1.16  to ozone transport is not significant, and the results to date 
  1.17  show that if anthropogenic emissions of ozone precursors are 
  1.18  eliminated entirely in Minnesota, there is little if any impact 
  1.19  on ozone levels in the ozone nonattainment areas around Lake 
  1.20  Michigan or the northeast; and 
  1.21     WHEREAS, a more modest reduction scenario, along the lines 
  1.22  of what could be achieved using currently available technology, 
  1.23  would show virtually zero impact from reductions in Minnesota on 
  1.24  ozone levels in the ozone nonattainment areas; furthermore, wind 
  1.25  trajectory analysis has demonstrated that ozone transport is not 
  2.1   occurring from Minnesota into these ozone problem areas; and 
  2.2      WHEREAS, on November 8, 1996, EPA issued a notice of intent 
  2.3   to propose State Implementation calls on regional transport of 
  2.4   ozone, a notice which includes all the 37 states; and 
  2.5      WHEREAS, the State of Minnesota has written EPA objecting 
  2.6   to the State Implementation calls prior to the completion and 
  2.7   analysis of all modeling data and questions the agency's legal 
  2.8   or factual basis for proposing the calls; and 
  2.9      WHEREAS, air quality in the Twin Cities area has improved 
  2.10  significantly since 1986 and continues to improve under the 
  2.11  current Clean Air Act control requirements, and EPA has 
  2.12  acknowledged that ozone levels in the region have not increased 
  2.13  over this time period; and 
  2.14     WHEREAS, given the technical information available, there 
  2.15  is no scientific evidence that EPA can demonstrate that ozone 
  2.16  emissions in Minnesota significantly contribute to ozone problem 
  2.17  areas anywhere in the United States; and 
  2.18     WHEREAS, any control measures adopted by the Ozone 
  2.19  Transport Assessment Group and required in the 37 states by EPA 
  2.20  would reduce job stability and economic growth in Minnesota, 
  2.21  while providing minimal or no reduction of ozone precursors; 
  2.22  NOW, THEREFORE, 
  2.23     BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota 
  2.24  that it believes that the scientific evidence concludes that 
  2.25  Minnesota does not significantly contribute to ozone transport 
  2.26  and, therefore, it urges the EPA to exempt Minnesota from its 
  2.27  scheduled State Implementation calls. 
  2.28     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the 
  2.29  State of Minnesota is directed to prepare copies of this 
  2.30  memorial and transmit them to the Administrator of the United 
  2.31  States Environmental Protection Agency and Minnesota's Senators 
  2.32  and Representatives in Congress.