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Economic Failure at U.S. EPA: NAM Study Raises the Hard Questions

By <a class="post-author" href="/about#tfisher">Travis Fisher</a> -- January 9, 2013

A recent study commissioned by the National Association of Manufacturers critically assessed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s cost- benefit analysis with respect to six key regulations: Utility MACT, Boiler MACT, Coal Combustion Residuals, the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, Cooling Water Intake Structures, and Ground-Level Ozone. The NAM study details the significant differences between EPA’s cost estimates and those of industry sources, while highlighting problems and inconsistencies with EPA’s methodology. Most importantly for manufacturers, the study estimates the impact of EPA rules on the manufacturing industry, directly and through indirect macroeconomic effects.

A key finding of the report is that “the annual compliance costs for all six regulations range from $36 billion to $111.2 billion (by EPA estimates) and from $63.2 billion to $138.2 billion (by industry estimates).”…

New Science Endangers EPA’s “Endangerment Finding"

By Chip Knappenberger -- July 12, 2012

“If the EPA were to have done that with the regulations being proposed here … it is quite likely that their original Endangerment Finding would have to be revised and potentially overturned.”

The public comment period for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions for New Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units closed on June 25, 2012. A number of extensive comments were submitted arguing that the basis of the Endangerment Finding—that human greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) “threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations”—has become so outdated as to require a thorough re-assessment.

Strong cases were made that the EPA failed to completely consider new and influential scientific results which have a direct relevance to the impact that climate change as a result of human greenhouse gas emissions may have on the public health and welfare.…

Ignored Science, Neglected Economics: D.C. Circuit Upholds EPA Greenhouse Gas Rules

By Chip Knappenberger -- June 28, 2012

“The United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a decision affirming EPA’s first round of greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations in all respects.”

Last year, I outlined  the case being made against the EPA’s issuance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions regulations. The case was being brought before the Washington D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals by a group of petitioners which have become collectively known as the Coalition for Responsible Regulation, and made up of large number of businesses, business associations and several states. The petitioners argued on several different grounds that the EPA was wrong in the way that it determined that GHGs were an endangerment to the public health and welfare as well as in the manner in which it was going about issuing regulations.

Earlier this week, the Court handed down its decision—a unanimous finding in support of the EPA on virtually all counts.…

Court Challenges to the EPA's Endangerment Finding: A Summary

By Chip Knappenberger -- June 13, 2011

Regs for Rigs: Update, EPA’s Diesel Truck Fuel Economy Standards

By <a class="post-author" href="/about#mlewis">Marlo Lewis</a> -- December 28, 2010

Divvying Up the Warming

By Chip Knappenberger -- December 15, 2010

Post-Election, Post-Cap-and-Trade: Obama Clings to an Anti-CO2 Agenda

By Chip Knappenberger -- November 9, 2010

EPA’s Regs for Rigs – Fuel Economy Fetish Goes Diesel

By <a class="post-author" href="/about#mlewis">Marlo Lewis</a> -- November 5, 2010

Muir Russell Findings No Solace for U.S. EPA

By Chip Knappenberger -- July 27, 2010

Data Dredging for Dollars, EPA Style

By Kenneth P. Green -- March 29, 2010