Policy and Legal

NAM Applauds Stronger Environmental Reviews

CEQ’s bold steps set the stage to incentivize job creation and investment in America

By NAM NewsroomJuly 15, 2020
Manufacturing shopfloor
Chillicothe Gazette: Community and business leaders gathered at the Kenworth manufacturing facility Wednesday to break ground on the new paint facility expansion. The ceremony signified the start of construction for the new 120,000 square-foot, $140 million paint facility addition to the truck assembly plant in Chillicothe. The expansion is a 25% increase to the current facility and will increase paint capacity by 50%. New technology in the facility includes robotic paint application systems and the latest in emissions control systems. "This is an exciting time for the facility," said plant manager Rod Spencer. "This investment is key for future growth and it's a world-class project." Guests at the ceremony included Harrie Schippers, PACCAR president and chief financial officer, Mike Dozier, Kenworth general manager and PACCAR vice president, and Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). Kenworth assistant general manager of operations Judy McTigue and federal, state, county and local officials from Ohio also participated in the groundbreaking.

Washington, D.C. – Today, as the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) announced updates to modernize procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and increase local and tribal input, National Association of Manufacturers Vice President of Energy & Resources Policy Rachel Jones released the following statement:

“Manufacturers are committed to smart, strong environmental protections, improving the lives of all Americans and building a more inclusive future together. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic it is more important than ever to strengthen U.S. manufacturing capabilities and operations. Onshoring manufacturing requires first establishing basic infrastructure—from water and energy delivery to transportation—before ground can ever be broken on a major facility. Obtaining permits for these items can take years, especially when environmental reviews are piecemeal, but CEQ’s bold steps today utilize existing authority to strengthen reviews, reduce the time necessary to obtain permits and set the stage to incentivize job creation and investment in America.”

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 11.7 million men and women, contributes $2.37 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.