October 8, 2007

Robert D. Brenner, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator

Office of Air and Radiation, Ariel Rios Building

Environmental Protection Agency

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20460

RE: Comments on the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone; 

Proposed Rule, 72 Fed. Reg. p. 37818-919, July 11, 2007

Dear Mr. Brenner:

On behalf of the over 2,000 member businesses and organizations of the
Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, we wish to provide the following
comments in response to the EPA’s request for input on proposed
revisions to the current National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS)
for ozone. 

The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce affirms the vital importance of
good air quality and supports continuing efforts to improve and protect
this invaluable natural resource by appropriate regionally coordinated
action.

The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has supported balanced
initiatives to protect both the air quality and the economic health of
families and businesses in our region by partnering with other
organizations to support the NC Clean Smokestacks Act and other
initiatives to reduce pollution. The Chamber recognizes that the air
quality in the Asheville area and in North Carolina is heavily
influenced by air quality pollution sources in the Ohio Valley and
Tennessee Valley Authority areas. 

The EPA, state environmental and energy regulators, state legislatures,
and industry have spent years planning and implementing strategies for
how best to implement the nitrogen oxides reductions mandated by current
regulatory programs. According to the EPA, current federal regulations
will significantly reduce ground-level, ozone-causing emissions over the
next two decades.  Under the current rule, emissions from power plants
will be cut in half by 2015, and emissions from cars and trucks will be
reduced by more than 70 percent by 2030.  A revised standard could undo
much of that planning by unraveling the state plans that were crafted to
cost-effectively reduce emissions, and forcing prohibitively expensive
retrofits of control equipment on small, old facilities.

The Asheville Chamber of Commerce recommends that a cost benefit
analysis be applied to any proposed regulation to ensure that a reasoned
and balanced solution is based on sound science, that data is available
for public review, that there is a balance between environmental
protection objectives and the sustainable needs of communities and
business, and laws are enforced fairly and equitably. The Chamber
supports the efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency to focus on
helping our communities meet the current standard. 

Sincerely,

Laura Copeland

Vice President, Workforce Development/Public Policy

Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

P.O. Box 1010 

Asheville, NC 28802

(828) 258-6126

