Statement on EPA Proposal on Costs and Benefits of Clean Air Act Regulations

The Clean Air Task Force criticizes a proposed EPA rule that would change how the costs and benefits of Clean Air Act regulations are measured, claiming the move lacks statutory authority and is designed to limit environmental protections. The statement highlights that public health benefits typically outweigh compliance costs, citing an EPA study where benefits of the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments exceeded costs by over 30 to 1. The author characterizes this proposal as part of a broader deregulatory agenda under the Trump administration that ignores science and economic principles.

• The Clean Air Task Force asserts that the EPA's proposal to change cost-benefit metrics for Clean Air Act regulations is intended to "obstruct and limit future environmental regulations" and lacks "statutory authority".
• The document claims that comprehensive analyses typically show public health benefits outweigh industry compliance costs, specifically noting an EPA study on the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments where benefits were estimated to exceed costs by more than 30 to 1.
• The author argues that the EPA fails to assign dollar values to unquantified benefits, such as the reduction of the disproportionate air pollution burden on economically disadvantaged persons and minority communities.
• The proposal is described as part of a wider deregulatory effort by the Trump administration, which includes attempts to ignore the best available science in public health decisions and a proposal not to update National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter.

APA

Hashimoto, H. (2020). Statement on EPA Proposal on Costs and Benefits of Clean Air Act Regulations. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2020/06/statement-on-epa-proposal-on-costs-benefits-of-clean-air-act-regulation/

Chicago

Hashimoto, Hayden. Statement on EPA Proposal on Costs and Benefits of Clean Air Act Regulations. Clean Air Task Force, 2020. https://www.catf.us/2020/06/statement-on-epa-proposal-on-costs-benefits-of-clean-air-act-regulation/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Hashimoto |first1=Hayden |title=Statement on EPA Proposal on Costs and Benefits of Clean Air Act Regulations |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=4 June 2020 |url=https://www.catf.us/2020/06/statement-on-epa-proposal-on-costs-benefits-of-clean-air-act-regulation/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{hashimoto2020statement, author = {Hashimoto, Hayden}, title = {{Statement on EPA Proposal on Costs and Benefits of Clean Air Act Regulations}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://www.catf.us/2020/06/statement-on-epa-proposal-on-costs-benefits-of-clean-air-act-regulation/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }