Issa: Updated EPA Rule Inhibits Job Growth with Unnecessary Restriction

WASHINGTON – Today Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa released the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s final rule of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter 2.5 (NAAQS PM2.5):

“When EPA chooses to regulate at the extreme, it also casts a net over job creators, further curbing economic expansion and job growth.  This rule will inhibit economic growth for businesses and communities, stopping new projects until compliance with the rule is proven,” said Chairman Issa.  “In this struggling economy, we must avoid overly burdensome and costly new rules that would encumber American businesses.”

Under the current standard, PM2.5 has already been reduced by 50% over the last decade, while air quality has improved by 27% in the same period.  The change from 15 micrograms per cubic meter to the new standard of 12 microgram per cubic meter will subject businesses to stringent new standards that could cost up to $38 billion per year and 680,000 lost jobs. Job creators have identified NAAQS PM2.5 as an “extremely expensive” impact on designated regions that do not meet the new standard. Companies looking to build or modify facilities in those counties will be required to install emission reduction technology regardless of cost.

During this Congress, the Committee has held multiple hearings and produced staff reports analyzing the burdensome effect of federal regulation on job creation.  Click here for the February 9, 2011 Preliminary Staff Report: “Assessing Regulatory Impediments to Job Creation.”  Click here for the July 19, 2012 Staff Report: “Continuing Oversight of Regulatory Impediments to Job Creation: Job Creators Still Buried by Red Tape.”