Blocking Regulatory Interference From Closing Kilns Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I certainly appreciate the opportunity to speak on this bill.

I rise today in support of H.R. 4557, the Blocking Regulatory Interference from Closing Kilns Act, or the BRICK Act. This legislation is important to preserving the viability of brick manufacturing facilities all across the country.

Simply put, the BRICK Act pauses the EPA's 2015 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants until court challenges of the rule are resolved. I am very concerned that brick manufacturers in my district, as well as those in the districts of my colleagues, may be required to spend hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars to satisfy an EPA requirement similar to the EPA's 2003 rule, a rule, it should be noted, that was vacated by the Federal courts.

For example, Cherokee Brick & Tile from Macon, Georgia, spent over $1.5 million to install controls in order to comply with the EPA's invalidated 2003 rule.

Cherokee is a small, family-owned business, and as my colleagues with small businesses in their districts can attest, $1.5 million is a very substantial sum that can cut heavily into a bottom line. This rule impacts more than just Cherokee Brick & Tile in my State, but also General Shale and Pine Hall Brick, among others.

A basic material for home building and construction, bricks are more than just a figurative cornerstone in the United States construction industry. Passing this legislation would guarantee the EPA would wait until its 2015 emission standards are reviewed by the courts before implementing the rule and before manufacturers across the country are needlessly required to spend millions of dollars.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 4557, the BRICK Act.

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