New EPA regs could kill over 1 million jobs, cost billions
Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 1:39PM By Chris Carter
The EPA website offers an interactive map where users can click their state to see how much money the EPA claims the state will realize after the new severely limiting standards are imposed. No solid figures are given for the collective costs to consumers. [Screen snip from EPA/US Government]Despite no pressing environmental threat – and an economy in decline – the Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing “historic” new regulations that could add more than $2,000 to your family's energy bills.
The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards seek to reduce mercury pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants.
Coal power plants are the highest single contributor to mercury in the environment, but the US produces only about 1 percent of the world's mercury pollution. And around 70% of the mercury deposited in the United States actually originates from foreign sources.
The Obama administration used children as human shields to launch the onerous standard – perhaps the most expensive air regulation in American history at a Washington, D.C. children's hospital. After all, who can resist any agenda when it's enacted “for the children”?
The EPA proclaims that the regulation would save 11,000 lives, but that figure is 35% less than their previous estimate of 17,000. Considering all the smoke and mirrors surrounding the man-made global warming controversy, one has to wonder what “science” is behind these speculative figures.
The administration also claims that by forcing power plants to shut down and commanding companies to pay billions for new technology for existing plants – which is all passed on to the consumer – that they would actually be creating jobs.
But don't worry, the EPA says that “public health and economic benefits far outweigh costs of implementation.”
The EPA's news release states that “the American public will see up to $9 [sic] in health benefits. The total health and economic benefits of this standard are estimated to be as much as $90 billion annually.”
Was the $9 in health benefits a Freudian slip? Considering the Obama administration's propensity to use fuzzy math when it benefits their agenda, it's anybody's guess. Undoubtedly, forthcoming independent analyses will determine that the administration greatly exaggerated the benefits while hiding the economic impact.
One study by National Economic Research Associates determined that the regulation would cost taxpayers an average of $270 a year – more than $2000 between 2012 and 2020. They would also cost 183,000 jobs a year – nearly 1.5 million jobs by 2012.
The EPA also states that the regulation will prevent “up to 46,000 premature deaths, 540,000 asthma attacks** among children, 24,500 emergency room visits and hospital admissions” as well as 4,700 heart attacks. When most of our mercury pollution isn't even created in the US, how accurate are these supposed health benefits?
We must be good stewards of the environment, but our power plants pollute less today than ever. And most of the mercury we find originates from other countries, so much of the environmental impact from this new regulation would be negligible – at a significant cost to taxpayers. If they are truly passing this regulation “for the children,” then they should weigh the economic as well as the environmental factors.
[Ed note: The most current EPA news release now claims the new standards will prevent “as many as…130,000 asthma attacks each year.” That statement and others like it are suspect and subject to future change.]
Sources and Related Links:
EPA finalizes new rule, will hurt American economy
Mercury and Air Toxics Standards--EPA
EPA releases first national standards... (EPA release)