The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) on Feb. 16 filed a legal challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency's recent decision that will result in greenhouse gas emissions being regulated under the Clean Air Act.
"We believe that climate change is a global problem that can only be addressed effectively on a global basis," Thomas J. Gibson, AISI President and CEO, said. "This must be the guiding principle if we are to actually lower CO2 emissions globally and do so without lessening the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers in the global marketplace.
"EPA's move to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act will not address the global dimension of the climate change issue, but will place significant new burdens on steel manufacturers in the United States. This will unilaterally raise our costs, while allowing our overseas competitors to continue to increase their emissions. The result would be no environmental gain, but significant additional economic pain, including further elimination of valuable American manufacturing jobs."
The basis for EPA's plan to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act is its "Endangerment Finding." AISI is filing a petition for review with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging this Endangerment Finding on the grounds that EPA's analysis of the evidence before it and its process for reaching its findings were fundamentally inadequate.
AISI is comprised of 24 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 138 associate and affiliate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. AISI's member companies represent over 75% of both U.S. and North American steel capacity.
