House to Vote Next Week to Block EPA Cement Regulations

The House is scheduled to vote Wednesday, Oct. 5 on H.R. 2681, the Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011, which would force the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rewrite three new proposed regulations for the cement industry.  Since 2010, EPA has issued three new rules targeting cement makers that impose stringent emission requirements and modify regulation of solid waste.  Together, these three rules could result in the loss of 3,000 to 4,000 jobs in the cement industry. The National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) rule alone would impose $3.4 billion in new costs on the U.S. cement industry, which is already suffering from record low domestic demand due to economic conditions.  According to the Portland Cement Association (PCA), the final rule could jeopardize the viability of 18 of the approximately 100 U.S. cement plants, and place at risk 1,800 jobs in the cement industry and another 9,000 jobs in construction and related industries, and could increase material costs for cement products in housing and infrastructure by as much as 15 percent.  EPA’s Commercial/Industrial Solid Waste Incinerators (CISWI) standard could impose an additional $2 billion in compliance costs on cement makers.  The cement industry’s annual sales were only $6.5 billion in 2009. H.R. 2681 would provide additional time and guidance for EPA to issue achievable standards for cement manufacturing facilities and supports passage of this important legislation for the construction industry.  Click here to send a letter to your Representative in support of H.R. 2681. For more information, contact Karen Lapsevic at 202-547-4733 or lapsevick@agc.org.