ODESSA, Texas —
Congressman August Pfluger recently introduced the Show the Data Act of 2024, a piece of legislation aimed at protecting the Permian Basin from regulations brought up by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) based on out-of-state monitors in New Mexico.
A non-attainment area is an area considered to have air quality that does not meet the required ozone levels under the clean air act.
The aim of the bill is to prevent the Texas side of the Permian Basin from being redesignated as a non-attainment zone based on out of state EPA monitors in New Mexico.
Congressman Pfluger said there aren’t even any monitors in the Texas side of the Permian Basin.
“What the act does is it requires there to be air monitors to designate an area in non-attainment. The EPA has not worked with industry, I asked the EPA for a list of companies that they had worked with in the Permian Basin for several issues, including this one, but several other issues including the reduction of methane and yet they can't come back with a list of more than two or three companies that they actually worked with so,” said Pfluger.
Pfluger feels that if the EPA doesn’t have the data to back up their claims, then there’s no point in the regulations.
“This is basically saying when we do regulations, when the federal government comes in heavy-handed like this is and tries to change the way that we're doing business, they need to have at least worked with state and local and industrial business partners," Pfluger said. "They have not done that.”
He adds that not only would businesses and companies be hurt by this potential designation, but also the average person.
“When you have regulations that actually don't need to be in place that don't solve a problem that exists, then it makes it harder and more expensive, and that translates to higher prices at the pump and higher prices at the grocery store,” Pfluger said.
Congressman Pfluger also said he remains committed to ensuring that regulatory decisions impacting Texas and the broader energy sector are grounded in accurate and transparent data. He feels the Show the Data Act of 2024 is a significant step towards achieving this goal.