New EPA Rules Create Headaches for Business

Liz | 07/26 at 04:58 PM

An op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal by Business Roundtable President John Engler alerts readers to the possible harm that may stem from new ozone regulations about to be imposed by the EPA. Mr. Engler describes the rule as the “single most expensive environmental regulation in U.S. history”, which is quite an assertion. He points out that the EPA does not need to issue this new law- and in fact is doing so even though its own ozone study will not be concluded until 2013. In other words, agency head Lisa Jackson is sailing off into unknown waters guided neither by science nor by any reasonable appreciation of the impact that this regulation may have on businesses.

This disregard for consequences of course flies in the face of the president’s promise earlier this year that such decisions will be made in a balanced manner, and that he is focused on creating jobs. It is yet another data point indicating the degree to which Mr. Obama’s campaign needs are currently overshadowing his stewardship of the country. He certainly wants to attract money from the environmental lobby into his corner, as he did in 2008. His failure to move “cap and trade” through Congress makes him vulnerable; it is through agency measures such as this one that he can bolster his green bona fides.

For those who deride GOP concerns about abusive rules and regulations promulgated by this White House, and the impact that such increased mandates have on business managers, Mr. Engler’s piece might be a wake-up call. Real people run companies, and make decisions about spending money and hiring workers. These choices are not the product of computer simulations – they are made by people who can be angered or discouraged when they feel the government is working against them, and not for them. Ask any small business manager how the regulatory atmosphere has changed, and how it has influenced their excitement about expanding their operations. You will get an earful – the kind of lecture that was delivered to President Obama in the midterm elections. He was deaf to that message, despite some symbolic “moves to the center.” Ms. Jackson’s ambitious new rules are proof enough.

 

 

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