AF&PA applauds US House of Representatives for including Boiler MACT language in payroll tax package

WASHINGTON DC, Dec. 20, 2011 (Press Release) - American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman today issued the following statement regarding the U.S. House of Representatives' inclusion of Boiler MACT language in their resolution on the payroll tax cut and unemployment package.

"We applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for including in H. Res. 501 language on the EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011, which passed by a bipartisan vote in October.

"It is imperative that the House and Senate jobs packages ensure that American manufacturers have the certainty they need going into 2012. Issues of inadequate compliance time, legal uncertainty, and achievability of the proposed regulation have negative consequences for the economy and for job creation.

"We will continue to support our elected representatives as they push forward with this important legislation, and we urge both the House and the Senate to keep the EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 in negotiations going forward."

The American Forest & Paper Association is the national trade association of the forest products industry, representing pulp, paper, packaging and wood products manufacturers, and forest landowners. Our companies make products essential for everyday life from renewable and recyclable resources that sustain the environment. The forest products industry accounts for approximately 5 percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP. Industry companies produce about $175 billion in products annually and employ nearly 900,000 men and women, exceeding employment levels in the automotive, chemicals and plastics industries. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $50 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 47 states.