The US House of Representatives on 6 October 2011 approved legislation that would require the Environmental Protection Agency to revisit its cement emissions regulation. The legislation cleared the House by a bipartisan 262-161 vote.

The legislation, the Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act (HR 2681) would require the EPA to scrap its existing cement emissions regulation, which is set to go into effect in September 2013, and develop new requirements using more realistically achievable technologies over a longer period of time.

The current regulation’s goal is to reduce emissions at cement manufacturing plants across the country using maximum achievable technology (MACT). Proponents of the legislation say the existing cement MACT rule is flawed and would cost jobs at a time when the economy is struggling.