WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Congressman Sean Duffy (WI-07), a Member of the House Committee on Financial Services and the Joint Economic Committee, issued the following statement today regarding the news yesterday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold off indefinitely on enforcing boiler MACT regulations that would hurt businesses in Wisconsin:
“Yesterday’s news is a relief for small businesses – especially pulp and paper facilities – in Central and Northern Wisconsin, the lifeblood of our local economy. I support jobs in Wisconsin, but this regulation would send our good-paying, Wisconsin jobs to countries like China. Mandating unattainable EPA standards on our businesses will cost millions of dollars at a time when our businesses are struggling to stay alive. It is policies like this that are causing our jobs to flee the country.
“I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want our businesses to be environmentally responsible, but imposing over-burdensome regulations on our job creators doesn’t make sense. That is precisely why I signed onto multiple letters to the Administration asking them to reconsider what they are doing.
“If the EPA wants to protect the air, that’s fine and I’m all for that, but let’s make sure we’re not suffocating economic recovery in the process.”
BACKGROUND:
On February 6, 2011, Congressman Duffy and Congressman Reid Ribble sent OMB Director Jack Lew a letter expressing their concern about the boiler MACT rules. They noted:
· “This ruling would only exacerbate the challenges currently facing the manufacturing industry in Wisconsin and throughout the United States.”
· “We are particularly concerned about the impact the rule would have on Wisconsin’s critical forest product and paper industries”
· “We are committed to protecting our clean air and water, but we also believe that we must do everything in our power to ensure that hardworking Americans do not lose their jobs due to burdensome regulations.”
On February 23, 2011, under pressure from Congress, the Obama administration issued significantly revised rules.
On March 16, 2011, Congressman Duffy joined other Members of the Wisconsin delegation in writing to Lisa Jackson, the EPA Administrator, to express concern about the revised boiler MACT rules, noting:
· “[W]e remain concerned about how EPA’s proposal will impact Wisconsin’s pulp and paper industry, a significant source of employment and driver of our state’s economy.”
· “EPA is creating a climate of greater uncertainty among the industry about the rule’s final requirements.”
· “We look forward to working with you to make additional revisions to this rule to prevent Wisconsin businesses from facing massive additional costs that would threaten employment throughout our state.”
On April 14, 2011, Congressman Duffy joined a bipartisan group of over 150 Members in writing to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy to express their concern about the Administration’s efforts to circumvent Congress and increase the EPA’s regulatory power. They noted that:
· “[W]e fear that this ‘Guidance’ is an attempt to short-circuit the process for changing agency policy and the scope of the Clean Water Act jurisdiction without following the proper, transparent rulemaking process that is dictated by the Administrative Procedure Act.”
· “If the Administration seeks statutory changes to the Clean Water Act, a proposal must be submitted to Congress for legislative action.”
On May 11, 2011, Congressman Duffy co-sponsored H.R. 1705 – Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation (TRAIN) Act, which would require a comprehensive impact analysis of any EPA regulation before it can be enacted.
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