Governor Greg Gianforte joined 21 governors in criticizing an effort by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to mandate new air quality standards that ignore concerns from western states and raise costs for Montana businesses and families.
"The Biden administration continues to prioritize its radical environmental agenda over the needs of hardworking businesses and workers, including in Montana," Gov. Gianforte said. "While we can all agree reducing dust in the air is a worthy goal, the new regulation ignores progress and regional concerns from western states. Instead of addressing those concerns, the EPA is more focused on creating red tape for businesses and stifling the economy. Biden's new dust rule belongs in the dustbin."
Recently, the EPA announced its intention to tighten limits on particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, otherwise known as PM2.5. The new rule sets an unworkable standard for western states and the private sector.
In the letter, the governors informed the EPA that wildfires are the largest source of these fine particles in the western United States and that the new standard proposed by the agency neglects the region's unique circumstances and underscores the importance of proper active forest management of federal lands.
"Additionally, these wildfires mostly occur on federally managed land and were still the single largest source of PM2.5, carbon monoxide (CO), and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in 2023. Given this fact, you can imagine the challenges the new requirement presents for our western states. To require a 25 percent reduction in fine particles without adequately recognizing the largest source of pollution does not create a workable framework for all of our states," the governors wrote.
The governors also raised concerns about the impact of the rule on the private sector, warning, "Businesses will incur substantial costs in their attempt to comply with the new standard, potentially leading to job loss and economic downturn in affected areas."
If the final rule is implemented, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, nearly a fifth of counties in the United States could be considered noncompliant with the new standard, slowing down permitting for business expansion.
In recent months, Governor Gianforte also blasted President Biden's efforts to ban gas-powered vehicles and mandate electric vehicles.
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