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As I sat listening attentively tothe litany of informative and
relevant presentations delivered atthe recent 2012 NASF WashingtonForum, a sobering question came tomind: “Where would the U.S. metalfinishing community be today with-out the vigilant advocacy efforts putforth by the National Associationfor Surface Finishing?”
It’s clearly a rhetorical question,but the point is clear: As tough asthings might seem now as far as reg-ulatory/environmental/economicpressures are concerned, thingsmight be much worse if not for theintervention of the NASF—and, byextension, The Policy Group. Iwould dare say that the critical workNASF is doing behind the scenes haskept many surface finishing opera-tions in business.
Following are some of the associa-tion’s key legislative priorities: Jobs and Growth. NASF is stronglyurging Congress to enact policies toincentivize and revitalize a viablemanufacturing base. In other words,“help, don’t hurt,” said NASF execu-tive director, Christian Richter. Support U.S. Competitiveness.NASF is imploring members ofCongress to address competitivechallenges manufacturers face—starting with assessing existing bar-riers as well as emerging threats tobusiness while developing a betterpolicy framework to improve U.S.economic security for the future. Metals and Risk Policy. While NASFsupports efforts in Congress and theAdministration to review the ever-expanding regulatory burdens onmanufacturers, the associationadvocates “science-based” decisionmaking in EPA’s pending IntegratedRisk Information System (IRIS)
assessments for nickel and chromi-um compounds. Manageable Health Care Costs.NASF strongly encourages Congressto provide tax and regulatory cer-tainty and clarify how the healthcare law will be implemented afterthe Supreme Court’s decision. Fighting Further Reductions in HexChrome Air Emissions. NASF asksthat Congress urge the EPA to baseits pending rule regarding chromi-um air emissions on actual data andsound analysis. (Note: The surfacefinishing industry has actuallyreduced chromium emissions bynearly 99.9% since 1995, yet EPArecently proposed even tighter airstandards using air data from hun-dreds of plants that don’t exist!)Richter’s message to EPA: “We havedelivered on health and safety. Pleasedon’t set a bad precedent.”
Unfortunately, advocacy comeswith a high price tag, as NASF mustroutinely hire the technical, eco-nomic, and legal expertise requiredto mount successful challenges onour behalf. In order for the NASF tocontinue fighting the good fight,financial resources allocated towardgovernment relations activities needto be continually replenished.
NASF, The Policy Group, andscores of volunteers are hard at workevery day to ensure the concerns ofthe industry are addressed and thatappropriate action is taken. Let’s doour best to return the favor.
For information on ways you can sup-port the NASF’s governmental relationsefforts, please contact Jeff Hannapel atjhannapel@the policygroup.com.
A+ for Advocacy
May 2012Volume 110 - Number 4
Publisher David Hopwood
EditorReginald Tucker
Art Director - Production ManagerSusan [email protected]
Advertising Sales ManagerArnie Hoffman
Ph: (847) 559-0909E-mail: [email protected]
Advertising Sales RepsDonald Moeller512-585-2391
E-mail: [email protected]
Lynne Arons847-853-7001
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Annabelle Jacobson847-256-6850
E-mail: [email protected]
Gabe JacobsonE-mail: [email protected]
Tel: 847-256-6818
Sales Operations CoordinatorEileen McNulty
Marketing/Circulation ManagerCaroline Champney
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Metal Finishing (ISSN 0026-0576) is published 10 times peryear in January/February, March, April/May, June,July/August, September, October, November,November/December, and December by Elsevier Inc., 360Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010. POSTMASTER:Send all address changes to Metal Finishing P.O. Box 141,Congress, NY 10920-0141. Metal Finishing is free to qualifiedmetal finishers in North America. For others related to thefield the subscription rate per year, including a copy of the“Metal Finishing Guidebook and Directory Issue” and the“Organic Finish ing Guidebook and Directory Issue” is:
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Copyright by Elsevier, Inc. Permission for reprinting selectedportions will usually be granted on written application to thepublisher.
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