API comment on EPA ozone and GHG regulations

Citing the potential for major damage to the nation’s economy, the API expressed frustration that the EPA has not gone far enough to ease the burden of unreasonable regulations on American businesses.

Howard Feldman, director of regulatory and scientific affairs, said that while API applauds the few steps EPA has taken to curb unnecessary regulations, the administration needs to go much further if it is serious about getting the economy back on track.

‘Out economy is still attempting to recover,’ he said. ‘People need jobs, and in order to provide those jobs, American businesses need to be assured that the rules they must comply with are predictable and reasonable.’

Feldman said overly burdensome regulations reduce investment and cost jobs and put these businesses at a competitive disadvantage in the global marketplace.

API submitted some 50 pages of suggestions to EPA in response to President Obama’s request for comments on overly burdensome regulations but EPA listed only a few regulations that would be changed and skipped over those that present a major obstacle to job creation, he said.

‘EPA is in the process of implementing enormously costly regulations on the very businesses that can and will create American jobs while continuing to improve environmental performance,’ Feldman said. ‘We are particularly concerned with the agency’s plans to tighten the ozone standard and implement greenhouse gas controls on industry.’

‘Reasonable ozone standards are appropriate, but EPA’s proposals are anything but reasonable,’ Feldman said. ‘And they will not provide an additional benefit.’

He said the proposed standard is so low that it approaches natural background levels of ozone and even Yellowstone National Part would not meet the new standards.

Feldman said that under EPA’s own analysis, tightening the ozone standards will cause up to 96% of all US counties with air quality monitors to fail the standards. This would bring numerous consequences in economic development, business expansion and investment.

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