Joe Biden has painted himself into a corner with climate activists, promising them massive changes in how the United States manufactures products and creates energy.
We have seen him release new energy policies related to different home products, a war on fossil fuels, and now that is extending to the manufacturing business.
Talking Points…
- Biden ready to crack down on manufacturing
- Chamber of Commerce reacts
- Analysis
On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed new regulations limiting the release of particular matter PM2.5 or soot. They are touting this as a measure to increase health benefits for Americans nationwide. The new standard will drop from 12 micrograms per cubic meter to 9 micrograms per cubic meter.
The new regulations were announced by the EPA, which was joined by climate activists, stating:
"Today's action is a critical step forward that will better protect workers, families and communities from the dangerous and costly impacts of fine particle pollution. The science is clear. Soot pollution is one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution and is linked to a range of serious and potentially deadly illnesses, including asthma and heart attacks.
"The stronger standard is designed to ensure clear, routine pathways for industry to continue to upgrade and build while maintaining cleaner, healthier air. We know that cleaner air and a strong and bustling economy go hand in hand."
The EPA claims the new regulations will save 290,000 workdays and 4,500 premature deaths as well as saving $46 billion in health benefits through 2032.
The manufacturing and business sectors are not taking this lightly, especially considering that the manufacturing industry has done an amazing job of reducing the PM2.5 concentrations over the last two decades (down 42% since 2000) while increasing gross domestic product (52%). To that point, the United States Chamber of Commerce is pushing back on the new regulations, saying it will bring manufacturing in this country to a grinding halt.
Marty Durbin, the senior vice president for policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, stated:
"Tightening the NAAQS PM2.5 standard will grind permits to a halt for a large portion of our country. EPA's new rule is expected to put 569 counties out of compliance and push many others close to the limit, which threatens economic growth.
"Compliance with the new standard will be very difficult because 84% of emissions now come from non-industrial sources like wildfires and road dust that are costly and hard to control. While EPA states there are exemptions for wildfires, 70% of those requests haven't been granted in the past, and the process for seeking one is time-consuming and difficult for states to manage."
American Petroleum Institute (API) Vice President of Downstream Policy Will Hupman added:
"Protecting public health and the environment is a top priority for our industry, and America has seen significant air quality improvements and reduced emissions over the past decades under the existing EPA standards.
"Yet, today's announcement is the latest in a growing list of short-sighted policy actions that have no scientific basis and prioritize foreign energy and manufacturing from unstable regions of the world over American jobs, manufacturing, and national security. As we review the final standard, we will consider all our options."
The United States was already among the most stringent regulations on this front, with Australia and Canada the only major countries currently lower than the 12 micrograms per cubic meter rule that was in place prior. The industry has done an amazing job of adapting on this front, but now Biden is forcing its hand, which could crush the manufacturing industry in this country.
Biden seems to have no intention of working with these industries but instead pushing radical changes that will cost these industries significantly on the financial front, and all of those costs will be passed on to the American people. This is just a disaster in the making, but as I noted in the opening, Biden has painted himself into a corner with climate activists, and now he is clearly looking to make a splash with them before the election to hold their votes.
