Source: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.
Responding to the President Obama’s visit to member producer Hilltop Basic Resources, the NRMCA noted that the high-profile call to action on infrastructure funding contrasts with federal regulatory matters hampering economic recovery. “While we support using our industry as a vehicle to foster job growth and economic prosperity, we hope that the President would recognize his using an already overly taxed and regulated industry as a platform to discuss job creation while promoting more regulations [is] counterproductive,” said NRMCA President Robert Garbini.
“Based on knowledge of previous and current market forces within our nation’s construction materials industries, it is the opinion of NRMCA that should the Environmental Protection Agency continue with its promulgation of the proposed Coal Combustion Residuals disposal rule and the Cement MACT rule, it will invite unforeseen events resulting in the increased cost of our nation’s most basic construction materials, such as concrete of which cement and fly ash are essential components, and jeopardize the jobs of many in an industry that has already been economically devastated.”
Garbini noted that while the Hilltop Concrete presentation elevated the importance of transportation funding, the president’s lack of consideration for EPA’s over-reaching arm to force burdensome regulation, further strangles the industry’s ability to recover from the current economic malaise or create jobs. Highlighting the magnitude of numerous new regulations, NRMCA notes, an annual Competitive Enterprise Institute study finds that the federal government issues a new regulation every two hours and 20 minutes. Furthermore, in response to a request from House Speaker John Boehner, the White House released a list of the most costly regulations—each exceeding $1 billion—the Obama administration has proposed. Of the seven listed, four are linked to the ready mixed concrete industry.