Title: ORDEAL Act of 2017
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Ozone Regulatory Delay and Extension of Assessment Length Act of 2017 or the ORDEAL Act of 2017
This bill amends the Clean Air Act to lengthen from 5 years to 10 years the intervals at which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to review and revise air quality criteria and primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). This bill eliminates the EPA's authority to review and revise criteria or promulgate new standards for ozone concentrations earlier or more frequently than required. The EPA must delay until 2025 the enforcement and implementation of the rule entitled, "National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone." No earlier than 2025, the EPA must initiate a new rulemaking to promulgate NAAQS for ozone concentrations.
The intervals at which an independent scientific review committee is required to review air quality criteria and NAAQS and recommend any new standards or revisions to existing criteria and standards are lengthened from 5 years to 10 years. The bill delays the review by an independent scientific review committee of NAAQS for ozone concentrations until 2025.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 452 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 452

To amend the Clean Air Act to delay the enforcement and implementation 
     of the 2015 national ambient air quality standards for ozone.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 27, 2017

 Mr. Flake (for himself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Wicker, Mrs. Capito, and Mr. 
    Cotton) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Clean Air Act to delay the enforcement and implementation 
     of the 2015 national ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ozone Regulatory Delay and Extension 
of Assessment Length Act of 2017'' or the ``ORDEAL Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS.

    Section 109(d) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7409(d)) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in the first sentence, by striking ``(d)(1) Not 
                later than December 31, 1980, and at five-year 
                intervals'' and inserting the following:
    ``(d) Review and Revision of Criteria and Standards; Independent 
Scientific Review Committee; Appointment; Advisory Functions.--
            ``(1) Review and revision of criteria and standards.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than December 31, 
                1980, and at 10-year intervals'';
                    (B) in the second sentence, by striking ``The 
                Administrator'' and inserting the following:
                    ``(B) Early and frequent review and revision.--
                Except with respect to any national ambient air quality 
                standard promulgated under this section for ozone 
                concentrations, the Administrator''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) 2015 national ambient air quality standards 
                for ozone concentrations.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Administrator shall 
                        delay the enforcement and implementation of the 
                        final rule entitled `National Ambient Air 
                        Quality Standards for Ozone' (80 Fed. Reg. 
                        65292 (October 26, 2015)) until January 1, 
                        2025.
                            ``(ii) New rulemaking.--Not earlier than 
                        January 1, 2025, the Administrator shall 
                        initiate a new rulemaking to promulgate new 
                        national ambient air quality standards for 
                        ozone concentrations.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)(B)--
                    (A) by striking ``(B) Not later than January 1, 
                1980, and at five-year intervals'' and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(B) Review.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Except as provided in 
                        clause (ii), not later than January 1, 1980, 
                        and at 10-year intervals''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(ii) National ambient air quality 
                        standards for ozone concentrations.--Not 
                        earlier than January 1, 2025, and at 10-year 
                        intervals thereafter, the committee referred to 
                        in subparagraph (A) shall, with respect to 
                        national ambient air quality standards for 
                        ozone concentrations--
                                    ``(I) complete a review of any 
                                standard promulgated under this 
                                section; and
                                    ``(II) recommend to the 
                                Administrator any new standard and any 
                                revision to the standards described in 
                                subclause (I) as may be appropriate 
                                under section 108 and subsection 
                                (b).''.
                                 <all>