As a result of the Supreme Court's ruling on April 2, 2007 in Massachusetts vs. EPA, greenhouse gases are now considered an air pollutant under the Clean Air Act. The problem with this is that the EPA now has a vast swath of power in which they can implement and regulate emissions standards, a power that has been long reserved to the United States Congress. Essentially, the EPA can now make overly broad regulatory pronouncements that could devastate our current fragile economy.
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The proposal goes so far as to make specific engineering and design specifications, including how many grass clippings a lawnmower must make per gallon of gas. It would impact American farms, businesses, and homes. The authority assumed under this proposed rule would raise the price on energy, causing a domino effect that increases the costs of transportation, food manufactured goods and more.
This massive regulation could cost the American economy an estimated 7 trillion dollars in lost GDP in just 20 years, undoubtedly resulting in massive job losses. During this current economic crisis, we cannot afford to put the American economy in any further turmoil or hardship that could hinder its recovery.
For more information on the EPA's proposed regulations, check out the Heritage Foundation's Stop the EPA website.
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