A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Air Plan Approval; Montana; Regional Haze Plan for the Second Implementation Period".

Plain-English Summary

This resolution is Congress's way of formally objecting to and canceling a specific rule recently issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The rule in question was an EPA approval of Montana's plan for addressing "regional haze" — a type of air pollution that reduces visibility in national parks, wilderness areas, and other scenic landscapes. Montana, like all states, is required under federal law to submit plans showing how it will reduce this kind of haze pollution over time, and the EPA had reviewed and approved Montana's second such plan.

Under a law called the Congressional Review Act, Congress has the authority to vote to overturn any new federal rule within a certain window of time after it is issued. That is exactly what this resolution attempts to do. If it were to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed into law (or if Congress overrides a veto), the EPA's approval of Montana's regional haze plan would be nullified, meaning the plan would no longer be in effect.

The bill most directly affects Montana and the federal agencies responsible for air quality oversight. If successful, it would create uncertainty around air quality standards in Montana, potentially requiring the state and the EPA to go back to the drawing board on the plan. It could also affect industries in Montana that the haze plan may regulate, such as power plants or other facilities that emit pollutants contributing to reduced visibility. Visitors to Montana's national parks and wilderness areas could also be indirectly affected, as those areas are central to why regional haze rules exist in the first place.