Tougher ozone standards could snuff out the recovery, businesses warn

The business community is ramping up its opposition to tighter ozone standards proposed by the Obama administration, warning that these efforts would be devastating to the economy. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) released a study Thursday which concludes that revising the standard from the current 75 parts per billion (ppb) down to 65 ppb would reduce the nation’s GDP by $140 billion annually and $1.7 trillion from 2017 to 2040. It would also cost businesses $1.1 trillion to comply with the new regulations, the group argues. The study, conducted by National Economic Research Associates Economic Consulting and commissioned by NAM, also has business leaders fearing the tougher standards could snuff out a nascent economic recovery. The study argues the new standards would result in 1.4 million fewer jobs per year on average through 2040. For groups such as NAM, that is reason to keep the current regulations in place. “Manufacturers in the United States are in the midst of a resurgence that’s fueling job growth and economic recovery nationwide, but the proposed tightening of the ozone standard puts our momentum at great risk,” NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons said. “This data confirm our long-held concern that revisions to the ozone standard represent one of the most significant threats, not just to our manufacturing sector, but to our economy at large.”...more