National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association president, Michael W Johnson has welcomed president Trump's pick of Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency.
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Michael W Johnson, president, National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association[/caption]
Johnson, writing in a blog on the Hill.com, said the asscoation "would look forward to working with an EPA administrator that understands the harmful repercussions of such overregulation."
"Many areas of previously unregulated land would fall under federal jurisdiction, if the nationwide stay on WOTUS is lifted, and require costly federal permitting, correction or mitigation, which in turn will cause increased delays and cost overruns for critical public-works projects.
"Similarly, quarries spend millions of dollars each year to comply with the EPA’s Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act to control the non-hazardous release of naturally-occurring dust. It is a natural by-product caused by crushing rocks that is regulated as particulate matter in the air and as solids in water.
"Yet, were the EPA to reduce the permissible limits of particulate matter in air and water without sound scientific support, it would dramatically affect our members’ ability to provide material needed for vital infrastructure projects.
"Pruitt has defended the rights of states to combat overreaching federal regulations in his opposition to the Wotus rule and the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. Not only Oklahoma, but more than half of the states are working with businesses and associations to combat the rule."
"It is our belief that Pruitt would work with the aggregates industry to safeguard our natural resources as quarries and aggregates businesses produce the raw materials needed for our country to invest in our aging infrastructure."
