If You Want Clean Air and Water, Safe Food and Cars, Defend Public Protections
"Katherine McFate, Center for Effective Government" <katherine@foreffectivegov.org>
July 30, 2014
The air we breathe. The water we drink. The food we eat. The cars we drive. Most of us don't give a second thought to the basic components of our day-to-day lives, and we just assume they're safe. And we usually can.
Over the past century, America has developed a system of standards and safeguards and protected its people from a variety of public health, safety, and environmental hazards. These standards have improved our nation's quality of life and public confidence in American products and businesses.
Today, we released a new study, The Benefits of Public Protections: Ten Rules That Save Lives and Protect the Environment. It examines ten proposed or adopted federal standards from agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In almost all cases, the benefits of the rules, when converted to dollars and cents, outweighed their costs.
Combined these ten rules:
- Save 10,000 American lives annually
- Prevent 300,000 cases of disease, illness, and injury every year
- Create net economic benefits of between $46 billion to $122 billion each year
Rulemaking is the way our democracy balances the public's interest in safety and well-being with private industry's priority of maximizing profits. It's about ensuring that we all breathe clean air, drink clean water, eat safe food, and travel in safety. It's about improving and protecting American living standards.
Check out the study on our website, then let your elected officials know how important public protections are to you, your family, and your community.
Thank you for being an active, engaged citizen.
Warm regards,
Katherine McFate
President and CEO
P.S. Please consider supporting our work by making a gift to the Center for Effective Government today through our website. Your support makes a difference!
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