AFS Government Affairs Representative—Waterman & Assoc., Washington, D.C. EPA Pushes for Reduced Ozone Standard
Manufacturers voice their growing concern over the impact on costs and jobs.
E
arlier this year, the U.S. Envi- ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed lowering the national ozone standard to between 60 and 70 ppb,
compared to the current standard of 75 ppb, as a way to cut back on smog. EPA estimates the proposed standard could save as many as 12,000 lives a year and as much as $100 billion annually in 2020 by reducing spending on health prob- lems associated with excessive ozone, such as asthma and bronchitis. Typically, EPA waits at least five
years before revising standards, but the agency is reopening the standard after it was tightened from 84 to 75 ppb in 2008 under the Bush Administration. Opposition to EPA’s proposal for stricter ozone standards is mounting from U.S. manufacturers, including metalcasters, and local, state and federal lawmakers over the financial and regula- tory burdens that would be imposed. EPA has reported a standard of 60 ppb could cost general industry and businesses as much as $90 billion annually in 2020. These costs would include new emissions controls that facilities would have to install, restrictions on devel- opment, as well as higher electricity prices as power plants switch to cleaner- burning fuels. Industry also claims EPA has underesti- mated the amount of ozone that forms naturally or drifts into the country from abroad. In a letter to the EPA admin- istrator, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators, led by George Voinovich (R-Ohio) and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), urged the agency to reconsider the proposal, noting that “Mov- ing to change the standard again, outside of the Clean Air Act’s normal five-year review process, as local com- munities are struggling to meet the existing standard,
MODERN CASTING / October 2010
would be unfair and unwise.” A new study released by the Manu-
facturers Alliance/MAPI in September concludes that EPA’s proposed ozone standards would cost American jobs. According to the study, 7.3 million jobs will be lost by 2020 if EPA moves forward with a 60 ppb primary stan- dard. The loss of jobs would be largest in states with considerable manufactur- ing and refining activity, such as Texas, Louisiana, California, Illinois, Pennsyl- vania, Ohio and Indiana. The study also concludes the proposed standard would add $1 trillion in new regulatory costs per year between 2020 and 2030. EPA is expected to reach a decision
on the adoption of a new ozone stan- dard later this fall.
MC
To view a copy of the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI report, go to
www.mapi. net/Pages/
Default.aspx.
WASHINGTON ALERT On the Hill
Senate Passes Small Business Package After months of deliberation,
the U.S. Senate passed the Small Business Jobs Act in September to increase lending to small businesses and provide them with $12 billion in targeted tax breaks. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a different version of the legislation in June but likely will approve the Senate ver- sion prior to the November elections. Key provisions of the bill are: • creates a $30 billion Small Business Lending Fund;
• increases and extends the Sec- tion 179 program, allowing up to $500,000 in capital investments facilities can expense in tax years 2010 and 2011;
• extends Bonus Depreciation through 2010, permitting companies to im- mediately write off 50% of the cost of new equipment;
• increases Small Business Administra- tion (SBA) loan limits and lowers costs for small business to access SBA loans;
• establishes a new State Export Promo- tion Grant Program intended to increase the number of small businesses that export goods to other countries. MC
Workplace Fatalities Decline in 2009 A preliminary report released this
EPA’s proposed changes to the Clean Air Act would lower the ground level ozone standard to between 60 and 70 ppb.
summer by the Bureau of Labor Statis- tics’ (BLS) National Census of Fatal Oc- cupational Injuries (CFOI) indicates the number of workplace fatalities declined 16.7% in 2009 to 4,340 from 5,214 in 2008. Overall, the preliminary fatality rate for 2009 amounts to 3.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. Accord- ing to BLS, this number represents the smallest annual preliminary total since the CFOI program’s inception in 1992. This decline was due, in part, to high unemployment in industries that tradi- tionally experience a greater incidence of fatal injuries. Links to areas of the survey covering occupational fatalities by event or exposure, industry, occupation, selected worker characteristics and state can be found on the BLS website at www.
bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.toc.htm MC For additional information, contact Stephanie Salmon, AFS Washington Office, at
ssalmon@afsinc.org or 202/842-4864.
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