Washington, DC—Yesterday, U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (OH-16) spoke on the House floor to urge that Congress work to prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from adding coal ash to the list of hazardous materials. Earlier this year, the House passed a bipartisan provision preventing that action in its version of the Surface Transportation Bill. Rep. Renacci voiced his support for maintaining that provision in the final version of the highway bill.
 

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Transcript of Mr. Renacci’s Remarks

Mr. Speaker,

I rise today in strong support of this motion to instruct the Surface Transportation Bill conferees.

The EPA’s proposed rule to classify coal ash as a hazardous material is yet another example of this Administration’s continued attack on coal and the affordable, domestic energy it generates.

The production and use of coal ash has grown into a multibillion dollar industry, supporting thousands of jobs in my home state of Ohio.

Coal ash is used in more than 75 percent of concrete, primarily because it is cost effective.

Eliminating it would force concrete producers to use expensive alternatives, driving up the cost of building roads and bridges in America by more than $5 billion a year.

That means construction dollars won’t go as far at a time when our infrastructure is in dire need of repair.

In addition, classifying coal ash as a hazardous material will prove extremely costly for coal-fired power plants.

Some energy companies may analyze the costs and find it is simply too expensive to continue operating.

Others may attempt to pass the new costs on to consumers in the form of higher utility rates.

Either way, the outcome would be devastating for a state like Ohio that derives over 80 percent of its electric power from coal.

With our economy still struggling, that is the last thing Ohio businesses, construction companies and families need right now.

Despite decades of research and studies concluding there is no reason to consider coal ash hazardous – many of which the EPA itself carried out – the agency now appears willing to jeopardize thousands of jobs with this inaccurate ruling.

It is critical that efforts are taken to prevent the implementation of this regulation and instead allow each state to set up their own coal ash recycling programs following existing EPA health and environmental regulations.

This approach will protect jobs and our economy in my home state and across America.

I applaud Representative McKinley for his continued leadership on this issue, and I urge the conferees to keep the bipartisan House language in the final version of the Surface Transportation Bill.

I yield back my time.


Rep. Renacci is serving his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he is a member of the Financial Services Committee. Prior to his election he worked as a Certified Public Accountant in the health care industry, and owned and operated over 60 other businesses in the automotive and sports management fields.

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