One of President Trump’s campaign promises includes bringing manufacturing back to our shores. An effective way to accomplish that goal is to correct policies that make manufacturing in the U.S. challenging. For instance, the Biden-era rule regulating National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) needs to be repealed.
The Clean Air Act requires an air quality review every five years. But in an unprecedented maneuver, the previous administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated an additional review of NAAQS for PM2.5 merely 33 days after the 2020 one was completed under its predecessor. The 2020 version had deemed current levels of 12 micro grams per cubic meter (mg/m3) perfectly adequate to protect public health; no changes were needed and no changes were made. Biden’s unwarranted review, however, lowered the standard to 9 mg/m3.
If left untouched, this regulation could have dire consequences.
According to an Oxford Economics report, reducing the PM2.5 standard would result in a loss of up to nearly $200 billion in economic activity and put approximately 900,000 current jobs at risk. A study by NERA Economic Consulting found that stricter ozone regulations could reduce U.S. GDP by $270 billion per year and a cumulative $3.4 trillion from 2017 to 2040 while also resulting in 2.9 million fewer jobs or job equivalents per year on average through 2040.
This puts a major dent in the 13 million jobs and approximately $2.85 trillion in annual economic activity the manufacturing industry provides.
Upon the rule’s finalization, the Ohio Manufacturers' Association released a statement observing that “The unobtainable standards will only kneecap manufacturing investments, weaken our economy, and erode our nation's competitive advantage.”
California agricultural workers noted: “It impacts jobs. It impacts our ability to move freight. If you think the cost of food is high today, it will be even higher if this rule goes into effect.”
The Illinois Chemical Industry recognizes the effects such stringent rules have on bringing jobs back to the U.S. “Our lawmakers want manufacturing to come back to the U.S., but this regulation does the exact opposite.”
Counties potentially failing to meet these standards (considered nonattainment) could rise to nearly 600 total, affecting 40 percent of the population and jeopardizing the ability to complete projects and attract new manufacturing investment. These municipalities will suffer job loss, diminished economic activity, and reductions in tax revenue. Nonattainment designation could also strip them of federal highway funds critical to keeping up with population growth.
The push for stricter requirements makes little sense when the U.S. has shown drastic improvements in air quality across the board even among significant increases in GDP, vehicle miles traveled, energy consumption, and population growth. Total emissions of principal air pollutants have dropped by 78 percent over the past five decades.
The manufacturing sector has worked to bring about meaningful progress and it should not be punished with draconian measures. Lawmakers ought to work towards wildfire prevention and containment strategies, since such incidents account for more than 70 percent of fine particulate matter emissions.
According to the World Health Organization, the United States has the 22nd lowest fine particulate matter concentrations among 192 countries, while only eight advanced economies have lower concentration levels.
Overly stringent air quality policies will only serve to push companies overseas, relocating them and their associated employment opportunities to nations with much less rigorous environmental standards. A counterproductive maneuver that will only drive up global emissions and pollutant levels, decimate communities and economies here at home, and put the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage.
Congress must act; this rule must be reversed.
Representative Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) is leading a bill to overturn “Biden’s jobs-killing air quality standards.” Last spring, nearly three dozen senators expressed “strong opposition” by imploring the EPA to rescind its rule. Lawmakers have a responsibility to foster economic growth rather than stifle it.
The 12 mg/m3 level for PM2.5 is perfectly adequate and should remain. There was no need to re-evaluate the standard between the requisite five-year intervals, and certainly no need to lower it.
Placing more counties in nonattainment status due to the inability to comply to strict PM2.5 requirements threatens manufacturing industries, which translates to lost jobs and economic activity.
Put workers, industry, and American consumers before politics.
Kristen Walker is a policy analyst for the American Consumer Institute, a nonprofit education and research organization. For more information about the Institute, visit www.theamericanconsumer.org or follow us on Twitter @ConsumerPal.