(The Center Square) – Wisconsin legislators don’t have much power or oversight of federal Clean Air Act implementations in the state.
But the Institute for Reforming Government has proposed state legislation that would add state legislative oversight of the State Implementation Plans.
The institute is a policy group focused on developing free-market and limited-government reforms in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources proposed 11 rule revisions and eight of those reviewed by the Institute for Reforming Government were not modified by the Legislature and did not have a public hearing or, if a hearing did occur, no committee members attended the hearing.
“In addition to state level reforms, the Trump administration and the Republican Congress should reform the Clean Air Act to give states more flexibility to implement Clean Air Act requirements consistent with state capabilities,” said Jake Curtis, general counsel for the Institute for Reforming Government. “The threat of federal implementation plans should not be used as leverage to force the adoption of state implementation plans that exceed state capabilities and/or result in significant economic impacts and implementation costs.”
The proposed legislation would create a State Implementation Plan Development Advisory Committee including members of the manufacturing, agricultural and small business trade associations along with two members of the public that would review DNR-proposed rule changes in public meetings with public comment periods.
The rule changes would then be submitted and require legislative approval.
