ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY HEADLINESEnvironment and Sustainability
AISI Commends Letter by Senators to EPA
Feb. 24, 2010 The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has expressed its support for a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson raising “serious economic and energy security concerns” regarding the potential regulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from stationary sources under the Clean Air Act.
The letter was signed by eight U.S. Senators from states that AISI says are critical to America’s manufacturing capabilities and energy supply.
"We strongly commend the eight Senators for their letter…to EPA Administrator Jackson. The Senators’ letter rightly notes that regulation of GHGs from stationary sources under the Clean Air Act could have significant negative effects on many sectors of our economy,” Thomas J. Gibson, AISI President and CEO, said in an issued statement.
“An honest assessment of the issues raised by the Senators makes it clear that only a legislative approach can fully address the adverse competitiveness impacts to energy-intensive, trade-exposed industries that will occur absent a truly global approach to climate change policy. Given the lack of international consensus on binding GHG emissions commitments, unilateral EPA regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act will be environmentally ineffective—it will simply shift emissions and jobs to other nations. The result will be that our industries and workers will suffer significant damage from this ill-considered action by EPA and delay the ability to grow and add jobs in our recovery from the recession.
“Further, the proposed action by EPA raises serious questions about the many practical problems that will result from regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act,” Gibson continued. “These questions deserve a thorough response and an opportunity for Congressional review and debate of the answers before any regulatory measures are put in place. Members of Congress, not EPA, need to be in charge of this complex policy question.
“We urge EPA to stand down on its regulatory proposals and instead put all its efforts into working with the Congress on developing new approaches to reducing GHG emissions without imposing additional costs on manufacturers that will simply make the U.S. less competitive internationally,” Gibson concluded.
The Senators who signed the letter are Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), and Max Baucus (D-Mont.).
AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the material of choice. It also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. The Institute comprises 24 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 138 associate and affiliate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry.