Bush Rejects Envirocrats' Dangerous Job-Killing Plan

Bush Rejects Envirocrats' Dangerous Job-Killing Plan

Wes Vernon, NewsMax.com
Thursday, April 1, 2004

Also see previous article, Bush Regulators Save Home Buyers From $3,500 Penalty

WASHINGTON – Parents, job seekers, home buyers, taxpayers and businesses will benefit from a decision by the Bush administration to reject the EPA's wish to add dangerous and costly regulations intended to control stormwater runoff at construction sites.

The administration said the Environmental Protection Agency's original draft proposal of two years ago would have included a sweeping and very expensive ($4.2 billion a year) plan to regulate not only active construction sites, but also post-construction sites, including home lots.

The administration says that original proposal would have:

Raised human health and safety risks. Children would have been at increased risk of drowning in retention ponds.

Raised the cost of a new home by $1,000 to $2,200 in up-front capital costs alone (not counting operation and maintenance costs).

Shut out 135,000 to 325,000 low-income families from owning a new home.

Cost up to 18,000 jobs.

Shut down up to 800 construction firms.

Impeded highway and road construction safety.

Impeded state and local site-specific efforts to address stormwater runoff.

Imposed costs disproportionate to the benefits.

In a statement approving the decision, Thomas Sullivan, chief council for the Small Business Administration, mentioned “the high costs of regulatory alternatives, the speculative benefits from additional overlapping regulation."

By the way, don't expect the same left-of-center congressmen who adore expensive and even harmful environmental regulations but complain about lack of affordable housing to praise this decision.

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