Regulatory Exemption for Bakelite Synthetics and its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Executive Summary

A presidential proclamation has granted a two-year regulatory exemption to the Bakelite Synthetics chemical plant in southwest Jefferson County, delaying compliance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules on hazardous air emissions. This report analyzes the action’s direct conflict with several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning public health, sustainable communities, and responsible industrial production.

2.0 Background of the Regulatory Action

On July 17, a presidential proclamation was issued providing regulatory relief to over 50 chemical plants, including the Bakelite Synthetics facility. The key details of this action are as follows:

• Subject: Bakelite Synthetics chemical plant, southwest Jefferson County.
• Action: A two-year extension on compliance deadlines for EPA regulations concerning hazardous air emissions.
• Regulation: The Hazardous Organic National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (HON) rules, which mandate enhanced pollution controls to reduce local cancer risks and other health problems.
• Justification: The proclamation was framed as a measure to promote American chemical manufacturing security.

3.0 Analysis of Implications for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The decision to delay stricter environmental controls has significant implications for the advancement of the global SDG framework. The primary areas of impact include:

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The postponement directly undermines the goal of ensuring healthy lives. By delaying the implementation of controls on hazardous air pollutants, the exemption permits the continued emission of substances linked to cancer and other serious health issues, posing a direct risk to the local community’s well-being.
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The action compromises the objective of making communities safe, resilient, and sustainable. Allowing a major industrial facility to defer pollution control upgrades impacts local air quality and public health, affecting the sustainability of the surrounding residential areas in Jefferson County.
3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: This exemption conflicts with the core principle of ensuring sustainable production patterns. The HON rules are designed to move the chemical industry toward more responsible manufacturing processes that minimize environmental and health externalities. Delaying compliance is a setback for this goal.
4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: While the proclamation purports to support industry (a component of SDG 9), it does so by delaying the adoption of innovative, cleaner technologies and sustainable infrastructure. This approach prioritizes short-term production continuity over long-term, resilient, and sustainable industrial development.
5. SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: The use of a presidential proclamation to override specific EPA environmental regulations raises questions about the strength and integrity of institutions tasked with protecting public health and the environment. It highlights a potential weakening of regulatory enforcement, which is critical for achieving sustainable development.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article directly connects hazardous air emissions from the chemical plant to public health risks, specifically cancer.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The issue is localized in a specific community (“southwest Jefferson County”), and the hazardous emissions affect the local air quality and environmental safety.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The article focuses on a chemical manufacturing plant and the regulations governing its pollution, which relates to achieving environmentally sound management of chemicals and waste.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The article discusses a governmental action (a presidential proclamation) that overrides environmental regulations set by an agency (the EPA), highlighting the role and effectiveness of institutions in enforcing policies for sustainable development.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. Under SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
     
     Explanation: The article explicitly mentions that the EPA rules were designed to “confront local risks of cancer and other health problems” arising from “hazardous air emissions.” The regulatory exemption delays the mitigation of these health risks.

2. Under SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
     
     Explanation: The chemical plant is located in “southwest Jefferson County,” and its “hazardous air emissions” directly degrade the local air quality, increasing the adverse environmental impact on the community’s residents.

3. Under SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle… and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.
     
     Explanation: The article is centered on regulations for a “Bakelite Synthetics chemical plant.” The “HON rules” mandate strengthened pollution controls, which is a direct mechanism for the environmentally sound management of chemicals and the reduction of their release into the air.

4. Under SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.B: Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.
     
     Explanation: The EPA’s “HON rules” are policies designed for sustainable development by protecting the environment and public health. The “presidential proclamation” granting an exemption is an action that directly affects the enforcement of these policies.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. For Target 3.9

   • Implied Indicator: Levels of hazardous air emissions from industrial sources and incidence rates of related illnesses (e.g., cancer).
     
     Explanation: The article implies that progress would be measured by the reduction of “hazardous air emissions” and the subsequent decrease in “risks of cancer and other health problems.” The EPA rules themselves are a measurable action to address this.

2. For Target 11.6

   • Implied Indicator: Air quality levels in affected communities.
     
     Explanation: The article’s focus on “hazardous air emissions” in “southwest Jefferson County” implies that a key indicator would be the concentration of these pollutants in the ambient air of the community, which is a direct measure of local air quality.

3. For Target 12.4

   • Implied Indicator: Compliance of chemical manufacturing facilities with national regulations on hazardous emissions.
     
     Explanation: The article is about a company being granted “more time to comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules.” Therefore, the rate and timeliness of compliance with these specific regulations (“HON rules”) serve as a direct indicator of progress toward environmentally sound management of chemicals.

4. For Target 16.B

   • Implied Indicator: The implementation and enforcement status of national environmental protection policies.
     
     Explanation: The article details a “regulatory exemption” granted via a “presidential proclamation,” which alters the enforcement of existing EPA rules. Tracking such exemptions and the enforcement integrity of environmental laws serves as an indicator of how effectively policies for sustainable development are being upheld by institutions.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: courier-journal.com