EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011

Floor Speech

Mr. LATTA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise today in support of H.R. 2250.

I'm a cosponsor of this legislation which was introduced in response to yet another overreaching EPA rule proposal, this time for industrial boilers. This rule finalized will have devastating effects on the Nation's economy and lead to further job loss, especially in my home State of Ohio.

The community of Orrville, Ohio, which is east of me, a small city which has just over 8,300 residents, provides a perfect example of the wide-ranging negative impacts of the rule.

As written, the Boiler MACT rule would require Orrville Utilities, a nonprofit electric service provider, to spend $40.2 million on additional controls to remain in compliance. This equates to $4,843 for every man, woman and child living in Orrville, as well as putting the utility workers' jobs at risk.

While that cost increase alone would be devastating to the families and job creators in the community, the unintended consequences reach much deeper. For example, Smucker's, that company that we all know and love which makes jellies, jams, apple butter, spreads and other food products has been a staple of America's homes for over 110 years; and it employs over 1,500 people at its home factories in Orrville. Smucker's has been a customer of Orrville Utilities since the establishment of the utility in 1917, and the company's CEO says ``Smucker's has elected to remain in the Orrville, Ohio, community for many reasons, including the low rates, reliable service, and the company benefits of working with a city-owned and -operated electric utility.''

It is impossible for me to understand why anyone would support a rule that would force a nonprofit utility like Orville to significantly raise their rates, as the result of a rule EPA has admitted was based on faulty information, and make it more difficult for companies that have been providing thousands of jobs in communities like Orrville for over 110 years to do business.

It is important to note that this bill does not ask the EPA not to regulate these facilities. It only lays out a framework that allows the EPA to regulate them in a more reasonable fashion, over a more reasonable time frame so we can protect the environment and take advantage of all the economic benefits that these facilities provide to the communities and businesses they service.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this important job-saving legislation.

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