American Chemistry Council Asks Senate to Postpone GHG Regulation
On Thursday, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee will mark up the Fiscal Year 2011 EPA-Interior spending bill. Today, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and 23 other associations wrote to members of the Senate Appropriations Committee urging them to vote for an amendment that would postpone EPA's planned regulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from stationary sources. A letter was also sent to House Appropriators. The letters are available at www.americanchemistry.com/energy.
ACC President and CEO Cal Dooley issued the following statement:
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's planned regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources, slated to begin on January 2, 2011, is one of the top challenges facing American business today. Already, the uncertainty and cost associated with these new regulations is having a chilling effect on investment and job creation vital to the nation's recovery. Governors across the country are baffled as to the requirements for states and how to process and pay for the coming flood of permit applications. Energy efficiency investments that could help reduce GHG emissions are among those thrown into disarray by EPA's new regulations.
"That's why a cross-section of American industry and agriculture representing millions of U.S. jobs has asked Senate Appropriators to immediately postpone the regulations. A postponement amendment will give Congress the time necessary to consider the appropriate regulatory approach for stationary sources and move forward on a national climate policy. According to EPA, as many as six million U.S. industrial facilities, power plants, hospitals, agricultural and commercial establishments eventually will be subject to these rules. Proposed steps such as a codification of the 'tailoring rule' have not resolved the confusion nor provided needed certainty and will not protect the vast majority of American businesses affected by the rules.
"Postponing stationary source regulation should be an urgent priority for Congress. We strongly urge Senate Appropriators and other lawmakers to support efforts to postpone EPA regulation of GHG emissions from all stationary sources. This essential step could be achieved through the appropriations process or legislation such as that proposed by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Reps. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) and Rick Boucher (D-Va.)."