House Bill 169 – “Regulatory Reduction Act of 2016” – would have serious negative impacts on the health and well-being of North Carolina residents and our natural resources.
We are asking members to vote “No” on HB169 because of the following provisions:
Section 1.1 removes the authority of agencies to implement rules if the five-year financial impact exceeds $10 million, and instead shifts this power to the General Assembly. This prevents agencies from adequately doing their job in protecting North Carolinians.
Section 1.3 builds on section 1.1 to clarify that even if an environmental rule is in response to, “A serious and unforeseen threat to the public health, safety, or welfare,” it cannot be implemented by the agency if the five-year financial impact exceeds $10 million, even if the benefits outweigh the costs.
Section 2.1 allows the owners of certain commercial buildings to ignore energy efficiency standards, leaving tenants to foot the bill for the increased utility costs.
Section 4.1 undoes years of work to implement infrastructure to safely dispose and recycle electronic devices, such as TVs and computers. These devices contain dangerous heavy metals, which can have detrimental health impacts on infants, so it is critical these items are not allowed to be thrown out in landfills.
The “Regulatory Reduction Act of 2016” is a polluter-friendly bill that repeals and modifies laws designed to protect the safety and health of North Carolina’s constituents, waterways, and environment.
Even though HB169 has been moved to the Senate Rules Committee, it is imperative that we continue to monitor such a destructive bill. Based on the provisions above as well as the overall tenor of a pro-polluter, anti-public health sentiment, we are asking you to vote against this legislation.
Update: We are pleased that Section 3.2, which would have scrapped a public building energy efficiency program that saved the state and an estimated $166 million in utility expenditure during the 2014-15 fiscal year, was removed prior to leave the committee. However, we are disappointed that this bill passed the NC Senate on June 13 with a 30 – 15 vote.
