WASHINGTON – The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s recent decisions to stay the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Good Neighbor” plan and overturn the longstanding Chevron precedent:
“The U.S. Supreme Court rulings are significant for the U.S. pulp and paper industry. Without the stay, AF&PA members would have faced hundreds of millions in unrecoverable costs to comply with the Good Neighbor Plan while the litigation continues.
"This rule was based on controls that were neither proven nor cost-effective, and the Supreme Court ruling affirms that position.
"Furthermore, we appreciate the Supreme Court’s decision overruling Chevron as contrary to the U.S. Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act, as explained in our amicus brief with the American Farm Bureau Federation and others.
“We hope that this focus on courts’ constitutional role to interpret the law, while respecting agency expertise, will lay the foundation for sustainable regulation that withstands the test of time."
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) serves to advance U.S. paper and wood products manufacturers through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy. The forest products industry is circular by nature. AF&PA member companies make essential products from renewable and recyclable resources, generate renewable bioenergy and are committed to continuous improvement through the industry’s sustainability initiative —Better Practices, Better Planet 2030: Sustainable Products for a Sustainable Future. The forest products industry accounts for approximately 5% of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP, manufactures about $350 billion in products annually and employs about 925,000 people. The industry meets a payroll of about $65 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 43 states. Visit AF&PA online at afandpa.org or follow us on Twitter @ForestandPaper.
