Amoroso wants council to oppose stricter EPA air quality standards

The Metro Council will consider at its next meeting a resolution to formally oppose proposed changes to Federal Air Quality Standards by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Councilman Buddy Amoroso, who is sponsoring the agenda item, says the proposed standards—which would lower air standards from 75 parts per billion to as low as 65 ppb—would hurt continued industry growth. “There is $70 billion of new construction on the books and this could kill it all,” Amoroso says, referring to proposed plant construction in south Louisiana over the next several years. The EPA is currently taking comments on the proposed standards, and if approved the council’s resolution would be submitted in opposition. Amoroso says he came up with the resolution after discussing the new standards with local industry leaders, other city officials and business associations. Since the 1970s Baton Rouge has struggled to meet the EPA air quality standard, only falling below the bar last April, thanks in part to industry cooperation, Amoroso says. “What you’ve seen in the major industries, [companies are] putting in equipment to make their operations cleaner. Even tugboats on the Mississippi River have tried to lower emissions,” says Amoroso, who notes in an agenda item request that Baton Rouge has lowered its air pollution from more than 110 ppb in the 1970s to somewhere between 70 ppb and 74 ppb today. Amoroso’s resolution also calls for the council to formally support loosening regulations regarding carbon credits. For example, if CATS were to update its fleet with more environmentally conscious buses, they should be able to transfer credits to businesses looking to expand their plants, Amoroso says. Calls for comment to the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, a leading environmental group in the area, were not returned by this afternoon’s deadline. The Metro Council will consider introducing Amoroso’s item for further discussion at its meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 8. —Kelly Connelly