Boiler MACT update

In recent news, Republican Senator James Inhofe (from Oklahoma, wouldn’t you know it) is leading a charge against the EPA’s Boiler MACT rule.  As some may remember from previous blogs of mine, the American Boiler Manufactures Association (which includes E-Tech) has supported this rule for many years.  Many ABMA members (including me) wrote letters to our Congressman.  Yesterday I received a reply from Senator Tom Coburn, Oklahoma’s other US Senator in response to a letter I sent on February 8.  The essence of my letter was to say that ten years was enough time to evaluate the proposal; that our industry was entirely capable of implementing the rules with current technologies and at low cost; that the manufacturing base in Tulsa was particularly geared towards this particular industry and our opportunities due to passage of the bill would be great for business.  At that time, the Republicans were trying to attach this bill to the Payroll Tax Holiday Extension, something I found particularly odious.  Left unsaid, but certainly implied, was the EPA Boiler MACT rule was designed around making our products less polluting and consequently better for the collective health of the country. 

As Senator Coburn was the only Senator (none of Oklahoma’s Congressmen replied, nor did Senator Inhofe) to answer my letter, I can easily gloss over the four month delay in getting back to me.  Furthermore, it is not surprising that I heard tired old bromides such as these: 

• “.. the EPA has proposed a litany of cumbersome federal mandates without assessing if they achieve both economic and environmental progress.” 
• “..by imposing burdensome regulations on states, the EPA will sacrifice effectiveness while increasing costs..”
• “Instead of further taxing and regulating opportunity the EPA should…”

Well as John Steward says, I must call “bullshit” on this.

The upshot ofthe nonsense, including Senator Inhofe’s obstructive blockade, is a veto promise from the White House.  See here for the story on that. White House threatens veto

Further to this, a recent article written by Sue Tierny, a former USDOE official, lends learned credence to proceeding, noting the Republican theatrics lunacy.  Read here. Tierny article

Although, this blog will not be posted until June 30, it is being written on June 20, the first day of summer.  So my “wise” words today are:

“Then followed that beautiful season...Summer....

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape

Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)