Why is the U.S. portland cement industry important to infrastructure and economic recovery?
The U.S. cement industry employs tens of thousands of Americans and produces a product that is absolutely essential to the U.S. economic recovery and security. Without affordable cement it will be impossible to pursue many of the construction projects that have been identified as important to an economic recovery, such as infrastructure projects. Adoption of this rule will, by the EPA’s own admission, reduce the number of U.S. jobs in the industry, increase our reliance on foreign producers of cement, and increase costs for all consumers of cement. This means that the rule will apply pressure on the U.S. economy both directly, by driving U.S. cement producers out of business, and indirectly, by increasing the costs of cement for all of the industries that depend upon cement.
