As Reported by the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee

129th General Assembly
Regular Session
2011-2012
H. C. R. No. 15


Representative Balderson 

Cosponsors: Representatives Blessing, Thompson, Adams, J., Carey, Maag, Hayes, Blair, Martin, Schuring, Buchy, Mecklenborg, Young, Ruhl, Bubp 



A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To urge Congress to take certain actions regarding 1
the United States Environmental Protection 2
Agency's proposed regulations on air quality and 3
greenhouse gas emissions.4


BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO
(THE SENATE CONCURRING):


       WHEREAS, The United States is recovering from the largest 5
recession since the Great Depression. The U.S. government must do 6
all that it can to promote economic recovery and foster a stable 7
and predictable business environment that will lead to the 8
creation of jobs; and9

       WHEREAS, This economic recovery is threatened by regulations 10
on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions proposed by the United 11
States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). These proposed 12
regulations threaten to harm the U.S. economy, job growth, and 13
competitiveness in the global economy; and14

       WHEREAS, The proposed regulations are known as the "train 15
wreck" because of the numerous and overlapping requirements and 16
the potentially devastating consequences of these regulations on 17
the U.S. economy. The proposed regulations are in addition to the 18
other burdensome regulations that are driving jobs and industry 19
out of the country; and20

       WHEREAS, Neither the USEPA nor the Administration of 21
President Barack Obama has undertaken a comprehensive analysis of 22
how the proposed regulations would affect the U.S. economy. The 23
USEPA also has not analyzed what the environmental benefits of its 24
proposed greenhouse regulations would be in terms of impacting the 25
global climate; and26

       WHEREAS, Though the proposed regulations are intended to 27
improve public health, the public health and welfare actually will 28
be negatively impacted if the proposed regulations take effect. 29
The public health and welfare will suffer without significant job 30
creation and economic improvement because people with good jobs 31
are better able to take care of themselves and their families than 32
those who are unemployed and because environmental improvement is 33
only possible in a society that generates wealth; now therefore be 34
it35

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 129th General Assembly 36
of the State of Ohio, while supporting efforts to improve our 37
country's air quality, urge the Congress of the United States to 38
enact legislation prohibiting the United States Environmental 39
Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions by any 40
means necessary, including defunding the USEPA's greenhouse gas 41
emission regulatory activities; and be it further42

       RESOLVED, That we urge the Congress of the United States to 43
enact legislation imposing a moratorium on the promulgation of any 44
new air quality regulations, except those that directly address an 45
imminent health or environmental emergency, by any means necessary 46
for two years, including defunding the USEPA's air quality 47
regulatory activities; and be it further48

       RESOLVED, That we urge the Congress of the United States to 49
require the Administration of President Barack Obama to study and 50
make a report to Congress that identifies all regulatory 51
activities that the USEPA intends to undertake in furtherance of 52
its goal of "taking action on climate change and improving air 53
quality" and specifies the cumulative effect of all those 54
identified regulatory activities on the U.S. economy, job 55
creation, and economic competitiveness. The study also should 56
include any other federal agencies and departments that have 57
expertise in and responsibility for the economy and the generation 58
of electricity and its transmission through the electrical grid. 59
The study also should provide an objective cost-benefit analysis 60
of all of the USEPA's current and planned regulations; and be it 61
further62

       RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives 63
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the 64
President of the United States, to the Administrator of the United 65
States Environmental Protection Agency, to the Speaker and Clerk 66
of the United States House of Representatives, to the President 67
Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, to the 68
members of the Ohio Congressional delegation, and to the news 69
media of Ohio.70