Biden is stiffening regulations on chemical manufacturing blaming an alleged climate crisis and claiming dangers to minority communities as the reasons.
The New York Times report:
The Biden administration on Thursday proposed a new regulation to significantly reduce hazardous air pollutants from chemical plants, including the carcinogens ethylene oxide, an ingredient in antifreeze, and chloroprene, which is used to make the rubber in footwear.
The proposed rule would affect the vast majority of chemical manufacturers, applying to more than 200 facilities spread across Texas and Louisiana and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast as well as the Ohio River Valley and in West Virginia. It would update several regulations governing emissions from chemical plants, some of which have not been tightened in nearly 20 years.
The action is part of the Biden administration’s effort to address the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards facing communities that surround chemical plants. Known as fenceline communities, they are generally low-income, minority neighborhoods with elevated rates of asthma, cancer and other health problems.
This came about because of one alleged problem with one plant. In February, The EPA and Injustice Department sued a chemical manufacturer in St. John the Baptist Parish, Denka Performance Elastomer. They argued that it had been releasing unsafe concentrations of carcinogenic chloroprene near homes and schools.
They have decided that a problem with one manufacturer is a problem for all. Thus, these new regulations will affaect over 200 facilities.
The government is using emotion-ridden terms like “cancer alley” to describe the situation.
As for Denka Performance Elastomer, the district court dismissed the complaint. The ruling stated that the plaintiffs couldn’t specify any law that Denka broke. No injunction relief was granted either. It’s likely a sham case. It was to build up to these restrictions. They will undoubtedly cost a lot of money and raise costs to Americans. But, they will please radicals who run the Democrat party.
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