Manufacturing group call EPA delays a step in right direction

Keith McCoy, the National Association of Manufacturers’ vice president of energy and resources policy, issued the following statement December 8 regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcements that it will seek an extension to re-propose the Boiler MACT rule and will delay reconsideration of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS):

“We welcome the EPA’s decision to delay its final rules on both the Boiler MACT and ozone NAAQS. Clearly, the agency has heard the calls from manufacturers to thoroughly analyze the achievability and economic impact of these expensive and complex proposals. The EPA’s aggressive drive to put costly new burdens on manufacturers continues to create uncertainty and harm manufacturers’ ability to compete in the global economy. We hope this week’s announcements signal that the EPA is slowing down on overly burdensome and unnecessary rules that will crush economic growth and job creation.

“Recent studies show the negative impact of the EPA’s current path and proposals. A study by the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI finds the EPA’s proposed ozone standards would cost 7.3 million jobs by 2020 and add $1 trillion in new regulatory costs per year between 2020 and 2030. A study by the Council of Industrial Boiler Owners (CIBO) finds the EPA’s proposed rules to restrict emission limits on industrial and commercial boilers and process heaters could put 300,000 jobs at risk.

“Our nation’s unemployment rate is 9.8 percent. We need more jobs, not more job-killing proposals. Manufacturers also urge the EPA to reconsider other costly and unattainable proposals, such as the greenhouse gas regulations.”

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing has a presence in every single congressional district providing good, high-paying jobs. For more information, visit www.nam.org.