Washington Regulations Primed to Dismantle NC’s Job Gains

It’s hard to believe that at a time when the economy is turning a positive corner, employers are creating jobs, manufacturers are making a comeback and people are getting back to work that Washington would want to implement a rule that brings this progress to a screeching halt. Unfortunately, that’s what we’re up against. A little-known federal regulatory proposal currently under consideration by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is capable of undermining North Carolina’s promising economic outlook.

The EPA is now considering tightening its ground-level ozone (smog) standard later this year, which is expected to be the most expensive regulation in history. Yesterday, the NC Chamber and the NC Manufacturers Alliance, alongside state business leaders, gathered to discuss what this means for North Carolina. The numbers speak for themselves: In North Carolina, this could put 127,000 jobs at risk annually and cost the state’s businesses $98 billion in added compliance costs. This would be a $150 billion hit to our state’s economy, harming both rural and urban areas.  Jobs are at risk statewide as this could be a deal breaker for many of our manufacturers.

The NC Chamber has fought to unshackle North Carolina’s job creators of all sizes and industries from an increasingly complex and costly regulatory system. With great strides made in recent years at the state level, this shows that Washington continues to create widespread government induced uncertainty that harms your ability to invest and grow. Read more about yesterday’s roundtable discussion.