As we climb our way out of the economic downturns of this unprecedented year, we should be exploring all avenues available to help businesses navigate the regulatory process and return to prosperity. Specifically, attention should be given to major infrastructure projects that could unleash investment in Colorado yet which have struggled for years to get off the ground due to unnecessary red tape.

Our government’s regulatory system should be about balance. But the goal of protecting public well-being without imposing unnecessary costs on American businesses and the economy has proven elusive, and unfortunately inefficient regulations have driven up costs for many important endeavors. As an example, the expansion of I-25 near Colorado Springs had broad, bipartisan support yet was delayed for years due to litigation and lengthy environmental reviews; ironically, the delay has led to greater pollution due to bumper-to-bumper traffic increasing commute times for thousands of drivers daily. An objective and streamlined review of this project would clearly demonstrate that its environmental and economic benefits far outweigh the costs.

Fortunately, there is a light at the end of this dark bureaucratic tunnel. President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the direction of Administrator Andrew Wheeler has proposed reforms that would codify consistent, transparent, and objective cost-benefit analysis standards for all major regulations promulgated under the Clean Air Act. These would ensure that the costs of all future regulations do not exceed their benefits. It would also ensure that regulations be developed using the best available scientific information and increase transparency in the presentation of the results of this analysis to the public.

I encourage all Coloradans to get behind Administrator Wheeler’s reforms. If finalized, they will create greater certainty for local businesses and reduce the hidden costs of regulations that often deter major investments from coming to the Centennial State. The Trump administration recognizes that effective regulations are an important part of environmental protection, and this is, therefore, not a rollback of any existing rules. Rather, it guarantees that proposed regulations are smarter, less costly, and only result in their stated objective.

El Paso County has a vibrant ecotourism economy, so protecting the environment is a constant priority. But local tourism would be nonexistent without the necessary road infrastructure improvements that allow people to travel here from all over the country. Cost-benefit analysis reform is a commonsense fix, and despite what environmental activists might say, is a clear enhancement to environmental protection. Cost-benefit analysis prioritizes the benefits that regulations provide, meaning that only regulations that are objectively a net positive for the environment will be enacted, ensuring that regions like ours in Colorado Springs do not suffer from costly red tape that does nothing to conserve our vital ecosystem.

The improvements to the regulatory system under the cost-benefit analysis rulemaking extend far beyond infrastructure. Clean Air Act regulations affect virtually every sector of the economy, each of which generate billions of dollars in revenue and support millions of jobs. The manufacturers, construction firms, and natural gas producers that are regulated by the EPA will be afforded a greater understanding of the consequences of regulation due to this rule change, and that in turn will boost confidence within the private sector.

Without any hidden regulatory costs to be wary of, businesses will have greater certainty in their investments and be able to create many more job opportunities here in Colorado. The EPA’s cost-benefit analysis proposal is an essential fix to many years of compounding excess red tape that has hurt both infrastructure projects and the commonsense environmental conservation that activists claim to care about.

Bob Gardner is a Colorado state senator representing the 12th District.

Sen. Bob Gardner (R) represents Colorado Senate District 12.

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