I guess the gloves are off now.
In a statement released yesterday the American Road & Transportation Builders Association said it filed suit April 17 against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The goal of the suit is to prevent the EPA from using the Clean Air Act in a way that allows individual states to create “a morass of conflicting state-by-state regulations impacting transportation construction as well as a marked increase in the costs of infrastructure projects.” The lawsuit is the launch case for ARTBA’s Transportation Development Legal Advocacy & Education Center.
“Permitting a hodge-podge of state rules–many far more restrictive and costly than others–complicates the ability of our industry to reduce congestion, improve infrastructure and add new transit, road and bridge capacity,” says Nick Goldsetin, ARTBA assistant general counsel.
In the grips of the worst economic downturn in 70 years, one would think the government wouldn’t be getting drunk on more costly, growth stifling regulations. But unless somebody stops them, I fear the party’s only beginning. Other associations: AEM, AGC, ABC, NAPA, ARRA, etc, would do well to join ARTBA for the fight.
