The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) has offered its full support of Senator John Thune and Representatives Pete Olson and Bob Latta’s introduction of the Clean Air, Strong Economies (CASE) Act, a bill to constrain the EPA from lowering the current ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).
AFPM President, Charles T. Drevna, commented: “EPA’s ozone proposal threatens to be the most expensive regulation in our nation’s history. Studies have shown that, if enacted, the standard could lead to millions of jobs lost and could cost US business hundreds of billions of dollars every year; straining our ability to realize the full potential of the nation’s manufacturing renaissance. Furthermore, overly stringent ozone requirements will require more energy and increase GHG emissions, conflicting with other EPA regulations.
“At the same time, lowering the current ozone NAAQS would do very little to improve the environment. The United States has reduced ozone levels by 30% since 1980. That trend will continue without lowering the current standard as counties and states across the nation continue to implement the current standard."
A recent report on the potential impacts of a more stringent ozone standard found that the new regulation could result in 2.9 million fewer job equivalents per year on average, through 2040 and reduce GDP by as much as US$ 270 billion annually.
“Congress needs more common sense legislation like the CASE Act to put an end to burdensome, costly and conflicting regulations that do nothing but force American business to spend scarce capital resources in order to comply with rules that provide little benefit to the environment and to consumers,” Drevna concluded.
Adapted from press release by Katie Woodward