NAM: EPA's proposed ozone rule could cost Iowa $9B in lost economic activity
March 6, 2015
A new ozone rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency could result in $9 billion in gross product loss in Iowa over the next 25 years and severely threaten the manufacturing resurgence, according to a study by the National Association of Manufacturers.
NAM released an updated study on the impact of the proposed regulation last week. The EPA has proposed tighter restrictions on ozone emissions - 65 parts per billion as opposed to the current standard of 75 parts per billion. The stricter regulation would push many more areas into nonattainment. Thirty-three Iowa counties that currently have adequate ozone levels would no longer be considered in attainment, according to information provided by NAM.
According the NAM study: “This regulation will make it harder to get the necessary permits to manufacture goods and build critical infrastructure like roads and highways in Iowa, while increasing the cost of energy for every business and household in the state.”