PODCAST: Regulatory Roundup – EPA update.

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The EPA and its supporters claim that the new rules are  required to save lives.  Environmental groups are running aggressive ad campaigns accusing supporters of the TRAIN of poisoning people.  Is delaying these rules a threat to our health?
 
No, the TRAIN Act calls for a comprehensive study of the impacts of the rule, which is important.  In examining the EPA’s analysis, some have found that the EPA is double counting benefits and downplaying uncertainty.  In fact, one commenter found that the EPA’s estimate of benefits could be off by an order of magnitude.
 
At the same time there are a number of studies that look at the wealth-health relationship, and there is plenty of evidence that a decline in wealth leads to a decline in health.  Costly EPA regulations that increase unemployment or raise the price of things like electricity can have an adverse effect on individual’s health.
 
Health-health tradeoffs, must be considered, as should the relationship between wealth and health.
 
That’s why it is important to support things like the TRAIN Act, to assess the comprehensive impact of the EPA’s rules.  The wrong rules can be just as detrimental as no rules.

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