The U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 2250, which gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more time to re-propose and finalize new Boiler maximum achievable control technology (Boiler MACT) rules.

House representatives said the 275 to 142 passage of the bill is a victory for job creators and workers.

“H.R. 2250 helps lift the burden of excessive regulations on America’s job creators,” said Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-VA. “Unreasonable regulations – like the currently written boiler MACT rules – are threatening jobs across the nation and creating uncertainty for businesses.”

Bob Cleaves, president and CEO of the Biomass Power Association, backs the House vote.

"This bill is a critical step toward getting the Boiler MACT rules right the first time, saving the biomass industry millions of dollars in unnecessary costs and sparing thousands of American jobs," Cleaves said.

Randy Rawson, president and CEO of the American Boiler Manufacturers Association, said the uncertainty lies in the passage of the bill.

"Opting for continued, arbitrarily-chosen delay and imprecise legislative definitions and directions, the House has signaled its preference for on-going, long-term marketplace uncertainty and turmoil rather than trying to resolve exigent issues,” Rawson said.

The Boiler MACT rules aim to tighten emissions standards for industrial and commercial boilers to a maximum achievable level.

The bill, however, is unlikely to survive a vote in the U.S. Senate or an expected veto from President Obama.

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