Surrounding carbon emissions being imposed
Members of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association gathered in Charleston Oct. 2 to address potential impacts of ozone standards that could be put in place by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could have on the state and the nation.
“West Virginia is just getting back on its feet after the recession,” Joe Eddy, president and CEO of Eagle Manufacturing, said to the attendees. “We are already looking at cataclysmic issues surrounding carbon emissions being imposed by the EPA and now it looks like they are determined to directly hit whatever business is left in the state.”
Citing a study conducted by NERA Economic Consulting and commissioned by the National Association of Manufacturers, the Association relayed fears that the revision could have a devastating impact on the manufacturing industry and energy sectors — namely: natural gas, coal and electric utilities.
“Manufacturers are going to take a hit, coal-fired power plants will shut down, and natural gas production will suffer.” Eddy said. “How much more can West Virginia take?”
The standard
In accordance with the Clean Air Act, EPA is required to set NAAQS for six “criteria” pollutants, including ground-level ozone.
Ozone can be considered a “good thing,” often heard in the context of climate change leading to ozone depletion, but ozone plays a role in more than one arena; while solar radiation-blocking ozone is beneficial in the upper atmosphere, its presence near ground-level has adverse environmental and public health effects.