WHEREAS, The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the responsibility to periodically review the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone to ascertain if such standard is sufficiently protective of human health; and

WHEREAS, The EPA is currently reviewing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone; and

WHEREAS, The state of Rhode Island, through its citizens, the General Assembly and its regulatory agencies, have worked with commitment and dedication to reduce air pollution and to meet clean air standards; and

WHEREAS, Lowering the NAAQS for ozone may well preclude Rhode Island from ever achieving attainment, thus imposing significant and long lasting economic administrative and regulatory burdens on the citizens of State of Rhode Island, their businesses and their governments; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island regulatory agencies would be forced to devote substantial resources in developing a new State Implementation Plan (SIP) if the NAAQS for ozone is significantly revised by the EPA; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations does hereby respectfully request and urge the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its review of the National Ambient Air Quality for ozone to conduct an exhaustive evaluation of the potential incremental health impacts and economic consequences, including unfunded mandates on the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, for the range of options to modify the ozone standard, including retaining the existing standard; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Environmental Protection Agency is respectfully requested and urged, on behalf of all the people of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, to identify any unfunded mandates or other administrative burdens which a reduction in the NAAQS for ozone would impact on State and local governments; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Ms. Carol Browner, Administrator, USEPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460; Ms. Alice Rivlin, Director, Office Management and Budget, Old Executive Office Building, 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20503 and the members of the Rhode Island delegation to the United States Congress.