Yesterday API hosted a blogger conference call to discuss several U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposals on the table that could harm the United States' economy. Topics included the agency's premature approval of E15, a gasoline blend containing 15 percent ethanol, as well as the agency's plans to regulate greenhouse gases, toughen ozone standards, and even govern things like farm dust and boilers. As we have noted previously here on the Energy Tomorrow Blog, a recent report by the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI estimates that the proposed ozone standard alone could destroy 7.3 million U.S. jobs.

Numerous API experts participated in the blogger conference call, including Kyle Isakower, vice president of regulatory and economic policy; Russell Jones, senior economic advisor; Howard Feldman, director of regulatory and scientific affairs; Ted Steichen, policy advisor; Robin Rorick, director of marine and security; and Khary Cauthen, policy analyst.

In his opening statement, Mr. Isakower explained that this administration's EPA has an "apparent predisposition for regulatory overreach and what appears to be, in some cases, a politicization of the regulatory process."

To illustrate this point, Mr. Isakower noted that, in the first 18 months of the second Bush administration, the EPA proposed 16 significant regulations, or regulations that have an annual economic impact of $100 million or more. Comparatively, the current administration has proposed 42 such regulations during the same time period.

Anyone who has an interest in EPA regulatory overreach or the potentially harmful economic effects of EPA proposals can access the audio and transcript from yesterday's conference call below.