Roemer Responds to U.S. EPA's Decline of E-Check Ease Act

Chairman Bill Roemer (R-Richfield) today expressed his strong disappointment in the U.S. EPA Region 5's decision to reject the E-Check Ease Act - legislation that would have allowed residents in seven Northeast Ohio counties to submit an attestation form in place of a physical E-Check inspection.

"This decision is a setback for hardworking Ohio families," said Representative Roemer. "The attestation option offered a practical, safe alternative that would save people both time and money. Instead, Region 5 chose to maintain an outdated process that, frankly, continues to burden families with unnecessary requirements."

Air quality studies - including recent findings from Swiss technology company IQAir - show that Columbus experiences the highest levels of lung-damaging particulate pollution in Ohio, at approximately 15 micrograms per cubic meter (PM2.5). In contrast, the Cleveland-Akron region experiences significantly cleaner air. This disparity shows the burden that Northeast Ohio families are being asked to shoulder that does not even reflect the region's actual air-quality conditions.

"For too many years, the seven counties in Northeast Ohio have been unfairly burdened by a program that simply does not match the data," Roemer said. "The E-Check program was created to safeguard public health, and the attestation option was a commonsense update that balanced safety, modernization, and convenience. By rejecting it, Region 5 is prioritizing bureaucracy over practical solutions without delivering any measurable air-quality benefits."

Roemer urged federal leadership to intervene, calling on Administrator Lee Zeldin and President Donald Trump to review and overturn Region 5's flawed determination.

"Residents in Northeast Ohio deserve fair, data-driven policies," Roemer said. "I urge Administrator Zeldin and President Trump to intervene, correct this decision, and allow the E-Check Ease Act to move forward for the benefit of families across our region."