How Much For Gas? Under House GOP Gas Regulation Bill, Americans Would Pay With Their Health

WASHINGTON – (March 22, 2012) House Republican leaders have introduced draft legislation that would circumvent Clean Air Act requirements and add senseless new layers of government bureaucracy to delay any future health and environmental protections involving oil and gas.

The so-called Gasoline Regulations Act would derail clean air safeguards even before they’re proposed. It would also eviscerate clean air protections covering all polluting industries in America – not just the oil and gas industry - making it clear that this has nothing to do with addressing high gas prices and everything to do with fulfilling the wish lists of big polluting industries.

The following is a statement from Scott Slesinger, legislative director at the Natural Resources Defense Council:



“This legislation raises the cost of gasoline to a new level: Americans would have to pay with both their money and their health.  

“If House Republican leaders were really interested in helping Americans struggling with high gas prices, they’d find ways to give Americans more freedom of choice in transportation. But instead of supporting fuel efficiency, public transit and other commuting options, they’ve shown once again they’re interested only in supporting their industry supporters and solidifying Big Oil’s monopoly on our transportation system.”

For real strategies for decreasing our oil dependence – and in turn decreasing our fuel costs – see NRDC vehicles analyst Luke Tonachel’s blog here.

For more information on why increasing our addiction to gas and oil won’t decrease prices, see here.

And to speak with an NRDC expert on this topic, please contact Suzanne Struglinski at sstruglinski@nrdc.org or Elizabeth Heyd at eheyd@nrdc.org.