GOP Utah lawmakers consider having more say over air quality rules

SALT LAKE CITY — Some Utah legislators are considering having more say over the rules dictating state air quality standards and expressed hope that the incoming Trump administration will be friendlier to the Beehive State when it comes to what they see as overly onerous environmental regulations.

Federal law sets some guidelines for air quality, but statewide rules are enacted by the Utah Air Quality Board, which is part of the state’s Department of Environmental Quality. Bryce Bird, the director of the state’s Division of Air Quality, addressed the Legislature’s Federalism Commission Tuesday, during which at least one top lawmaker expressed support for lawmakers to have more oversight in the rules that set clean air standards in Utah.

“This may be something for us to review in the upcoming session,” Rep. Casey Snider, R-Paradise, said of the rulemaking authority given to the agency. “There is a lot of legislative power that we have given to administrative bodies. We have delegated that. That’s fundamentally where Congress has gone sideways, is through the delegation of the authority that resides in this legislative branch.”

While he declined to cast judgment on the actions of the agency, Snider — who serves as the majority assistant whip in House Republican leadership — said bringing that authority back to the Legislature would make environmental rules more subject to accountability from voters. Lawmakers do vote to approve administrative rules that are proposed, but possible changes could see the Legislature having a more active role in setting air quality standards.

Several GOP members of the commission appeared supportive of the idea, as well.

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