It is essential that regulations embrace a balanced and sustainable approach to protect the public’s health while preserving family wage manufacturing jobs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must examine the effect of its regulatory program on the sustainability of the paper industry by balancing the environmental and economic impacts of its decisions.
The current regulatory pipeline affecting the paper industry includes:
- Stringent National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and particulate matter
- Control on greenhouse gas emissions from biomass
- Carbon regulations on electricity producers
- Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) implementation
- Revisions to Cluster MACT
- Regulation of hydrogen sulfide
- Revisions to NAAQS
The cumulative regulatory burden and other regulations could cost thousands of American manufacturing jobs and billions in capital expenditures, or worse. The industry needs ample time to implement upgrades and distribute capital expenses to meet any new requirements.
The PPRC recommends:
- Air permitting reforms to help expedite job-creating projects.
- Congress to require by law that agencies show that the benefits of regulations justify the costs.
