Sen. Moran Statement on Proposed EPA Regulations

Jun 03, 2014

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) made the following remarks today regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed regulations on existing power plants:

“The proposed EPA rule, crafted without the input of Congress, amounts to a national energy tax that will threaten economic growth, destroy jobs, and lead to higher energy costs for Kansas families and businesses. Kansas would be especially hurt because more than 60 percent of our state’s electricity production comes from coal. At a time when our country is making progress in regaining manufacturing jobs from abroad, these regulations will again send jobs out of the United States. Washington should focus on common-sense policies to make energy cleaner and more affordable rather than more red tape and harmful regulations. This Administration continues to ignore the impact a rule like this has on average Americans."

Source:senate.gov

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.