PACE in National Journal: Tip of the Iceberg

In its September 9th edition, the National Journal posed the question: “Was President Obama right or wrong to withdraw the Environmental Protection Agency’s smog standard?” PACE submitted the following response, which argues that while delaying ozone standards is a step in the right direction, we still have a long way to go to establish sensible regulatory policy.

In a statement released this past Friday, President Obama announced his administration will not pursue an early revision of the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Rather, the President is instructing the EPA to take up ozone standards in 2013 on its normal 5-year timeline.If implemented, a new ozone rule would have placed hundreds of U.S. counties in danger of ozone non-attainment, limiting opportunities for economic growth and jeopardizing federal funding to those counties.

I applaud President Obama’s decision to delay these rules, and his understanding that state and local governments should not be burdened with implementing a new standard that would be reconsidered in two years. The president’s decision is in line with his January Executive Order to conduct regulatory review of rules that “place unreasonable burdens on business that have stifled innovation and have had a chilling effect on growth and jobs.”

To be sure, in these tough economic times the delay of new EPA standards that could smother economic recovery is a victory for consumers and businesses. It is perhaps a signal that the voices of Americans concerned about EPA’s overreach are being heard.

But in the vein of that same Executive Order, there is still much work to be done.

Despite frequent and outspoken criticism from consumer groups and manufacturers, the EPA continues to move forward with the most costly regulations in its history like the Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) and Utility Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT).

In the wake of yet another bleak jobs report, the president and Congress will continue to debate ways to boost the economy and put hard-working Americans back to work. And yet the EPA continues to pass regulations that will stifle job creation, further cripple the economy, and threaten the reliability of our electricity capacity.

While improved public health is an admirable goal, it’s important to pursue solutions that also foster economic health and job growth. Reconsidering excessive regulation is part of that solution, and I hope the president will move to repeal CSAPR and Utility MACT before it’s too late.