WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, highlighted the negative impact of the Environment Protection Agency’s “Good Neighbor Rule” during a full committee hearing. The rule, which falls under provisions of the Clean Air Act, will impose stringent federal regulations on states to control air pollution that crosses state lines. However, the rule has been plagued by confusing and inconsistent modeling, which has claimed that Mississippi impacts air quality in Houston and Dallas.

Wicker introduced Chris Wells, the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), to discuss the claims that Mississippi negatively impacts air quality in Texas.

“It is hard for us to grasp that somehow our relatively rural state is causing ozone problems for Dallas and Houston,” Wicker said. “That is the conundrum that this distinguished witness will be discussing today, and I'm delighted that the committee has agreed to hear from him.”

In his testimony, MDEQ Executive Director Wells noted that Mississippi had been unfairly treated under the Clean Air Act. See his full remarks here.

Wicker’s full introduction can be found here.