U.S. EPA Rule Change Will Help Shed Light on Costs, Benefits of Clean Air Regulations

On Dec. 9, the Trump administration finalized a rule changing how incoming administrations evaluate their air regulations by improving how the U.S. EPA conducts its cost-benefit analysis. According to reports from D.C. media, the rule will apply to new regulations proposed under the Clean Air Act, which President-elect Joe Biden is expected to utilize frequently to meet his climate change goals.

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) applauded the rule, saying it “will have an immediate positive impact on our country.” NAM has previously stated that “reforming the way the EPA performs cost-benefit analysis is likely to have a greater positive impact on the future of manufacturing than any single EPA regulatory action.”

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, an Ohio native, announced the rule by saying the public “deserves to know the benefits and costs of federal regulations.” (It’s estimated that EPA regulations make up almost 70% of the costs of federal rules, with the Clean Air Act being the costliest.) 12/9/2020