Coal Firms Reject EPA Claim Of Studies Satisfying Air Law 'Jobs' Review

摘要

Coal firms are rejecting EPA's claim to a federal district court that existing agency regulatory impact analyses and other studies for its utility air toxics rule and other emissions policies satisfy a Clean Air Act mandate to review the jobs impacts of its rules, saying the studies fall short of EPA's requirements under the air law provision. In a May 4 brief, the coal sector plaintiffs in Murray Energy, et ah v, EPA say the agency is trying to show compliance with its Clean Air Act section 321 (a) jobs review duty with reports and analyses that were conducted under other requirements, despite previously asserting that it had published no such reviews. Section 321 requires EPA to conduct "continuing evaluations" of potential employment changes as a result of its rules. See page 2 for details. (Doc. ID: 181157) EPA in an April 10 motion for summary judgment had argued that the agency often assesses rules' potential effects on employment through regulatory impact analyses (RIAs) - studies conducted during regulatory development that describe the social costs and benefits of rules. EPA said that because the air law does not define what "evaluations" are or provide any guidance on their "scope, content, timing, or frequency."