§ 7612 — Economic Impact Analyses

(a) The Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, and the Council on Clean Air Compliance Analysis (as established under subsection (f) of this section), shall conduct a comprehensive analysis of the impact of this chapter on the public health, economy, and environment of the United States. In performing such analysis, the Administrator should consider the costs, benefits and other effects associated with compliance with each standard issued for— (1) a criteria air pollutant subject to a standard issued under section 7409 of this title; (2) a hazardous air pollutant listed under section 7412 of this title, including any technology-based standard and any risk-based standard for such pollutant; (3) emissions from mobile sources regulated under subchapter II of this chapter; (4) a limitation under this chapter for emissions of sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides; (5) a limitation under subchapter VI of this chapter on the production of any ozone-depleting substance; and (6) any other section of this chapter. (b) In describing the benefits of a standard described in subsection (a), the Administrator shall consider all of the economic, public health, and environmental benefits of efforts to comply with such standard. In any case where numerical values are assigned to such benefits, a default assumption of zero value shall not be assigned to such benefits unless supported by specific data. The Administrator shall assess how benefits are measured in order to assure that damage to human health and the environment is more accurately measured and taken into account. (c) In describing the costs of a standard described in subsection (a), the Administrator shall consider the effects of such standard on employment, productivity, cost of living, economic growth, and the overall economy of the United States. (d) Not later than 12 months after November 15, 1990, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, and the Council on Clean Air Compliance Analysis, shall submit a report to the Congress that summarizes the results of the analysis described in subsection (a), which reports— (1) all costs incurred previous to November 15, 1990, in the effort to comply with such standards; and (2) all benefits that have accrued to the United States as a result of such costs. (e) (f) Not later than 6 months after November 15, 1990, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Labor, shall appoint an Advisory Council on Clean Air Compliance Analysis of not less than nine members (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Council”). In appointing such members, the Administrator shall appoint recognized experts in the fields of the health and environmental effects of air pollution, economic analysis, environmental sciences, and such other fields that the Administrator determines to be appropriate. (g) The Council shall— (1) review the data to be used for any analysis required under this section and make recommendations to the Administrator on the use of such data; (2) review the methodology used to analyze such data and make recommendations to the Administrator on the use of such methodology; and (3) prior to the issuance of a report required under subsection (d) or (e), review the findings of such report, and make recommendations to the Administrator concerning the validity and utility of such findings.