Statement of Congressman Todd Rokita on Passage of Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011

Statement

Today Rep. Todd Rokita voted for the Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing exceedingly stringent, job-killing regulations with unrealistic compliance periods, and standards that are cost prohibitive or technically unachievable for cement plants.

"Indiana cement manufacturers came to me to express their concern about this regulation as part of the Red Tape Rollback program that the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and I launched earlier this year. I have worked with my House colleagues on this and other legislation to prevent overly burdensome, cost prohibitive regulations from being imposed on the cement industry and other industries as well.

Washington should carefully weigh the costs and benefits of all proposed regulations to ensure they do not tie the hands of businesses unnecessarily, overzealously or onerously because these American employers are then put at a competitive disadvantage or the jobs end up being sent overseas where there are less burdensome regulations. I want the jobs to stay right here in Indiana and the United States.

Ill-advised government regulations are one of the most significant contributors to uncertainty and the overall poor condition of our economy. Getting government regulation out of the way is essential to creating jobs and getting the economy growing again."

The EPA estimates that proposed Cement MACT rules would require $2.2 billion in capital compliance costs. The industry estimates the cost to be $3.4 billion--half of the cement industry's annual revenue. Between 10,000 and 15,000 jobs would be lost and 20 percent of cement plants would close.

H.R. 2681, the Cement Regulatory Relief Act of 2011, requires the EPA to re-propose the rule, extend compliance time, and ensure new rules are achievable. H.R. 2681 passed the House 262-161.

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