{"id":2157288,"date":"2024-01-23T17:36:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-23T22:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-chemical-ban-would-make-americas-military-reliant-on-china-manufacturers-warn\/"},"modified":"2024-01-23T17:41:06","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T22:41:06","slug":"biden-admin-chemical-ban-would-make-americas-military-reliant-on-china-manufacturers-warn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-chemical-ban-would-make-americas-military-reliant-on-china-manufacturers-warn\/","title":{"rendered":"Manufacturers caution that Biden&#8217;s chemical ban could make US military dependent on China"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-admin-chemical-ban-would-make-americas-military-reliant-on-china-manufacturers-warn%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2157288&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>EPA Proposal Threatens\u200d National Security\u200b by Reliance \u200don Foreign Materials \u2064for Military Gear<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<div>\n<p>A Biden administration proposal to \u2062effectively\u200c ban a chemical used to produce U.S. military equipment would make America&#8217;s national defense apparatuses reliant\u2063 on China and \u200cother foreign sources, domestic manufacturers are warning.<\/p>\n<p>President Joe Biden&#8217;s\u200c Environmental Protection Agency last year unveiled rule proposals aimed at banning certain chemicals under the Toxic\u2063 Substances Control \u200cAct.\u200c At least one chemical on the chopping block\u2014methylene chloride\u2014is\u200b used \u2064to produce military equipment\u200c such as\u200b bulletproof glass,\u2063 helmets, and \u200dfighter jet canopies. As \u2062a result, companies that rely on \u2063the chemical to produce such products are \u2064sounding the\u200d alarm, with polymer manufacturer Covestro arguing in a June <a href=\"https:\/\/www.regulations.gov\/comment\/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0465-0377\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter<\/a> to \u2063the EPA that the ban would &#8220;require military and police related applications to be manufactured\u200c from foreign \u2062sourced materials.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The\u200c proposed ban comes as China works to ramp up its chemical production. While \u200cthe communist nation controlled\u200b just 9 percent of the world&#8217;s \u2064chemical sales in \u20642003, it is now the largest chemical producer in the world, <a href=\"https:\/\/cefic.org\/a-pillar-of-the-european-economy\/facts-and-figures-of-the-european-chemical-industry\/profile\/#h-europe-is-the-second-largest-chemicals-producer-in-the-world\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">accounting<\/a> \u2062 for 44 percent of global sales as of 2022. That year, China was one of the world&#8217;s\u200d top exporters of carbon tetrachloride, which is used to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2023\/07\/28\/2023-15326\/carbon-tetrachloride-ctc-regulation-under-the-toxic-substances-control-act-tsca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">destroy chemical weapons<\/a>. China is also the world&#8217;s top exporter of methylene chloride, which the Department of Defense also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2023\/05\/03\/2023-09184\/methylene-chloride-regulation-under-the-toxic-substances-control-act-tsca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">uses<\/a> to make specialty batteries\u2064 and remove paint\u200d from aircraft, among other manufacturing purposes.<\/p>\n<p>The department\u2062 under Biden has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/Releases\/Release\/Article\/2972560\/dod-announces-21-million-defense-production-act-title-iii-agreement-with-nalas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">worked to\u2062 build up<\/a> the domestic production of &#8220;high priority chemicals&#8221; in an attempt to\u2062 reduce &#8220;foreign dependency for critical materials required \u2064for DoD missiles and munitions.&#8221; To remain in line \u2062with that mission, the\u2063 EPA generally issues national-security-related \u2064exemptions on its environmental regulations.<\/p>\n<p>At least one company, however, is arguing that even with those exemptions, the \u2062Biden administration&#8217;s methylene chloride\u2063 ban would impact the supply\u2064 chain for military\u2064 equipment.<\/p>\n<p>Chemical manufacturer Nalas\u2063 Engineering Services \u2062inked a \u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/Releases\/Release\/Article\/2972560\/dod-announces-21-million-defense-production-act-title-iii-agreement-with-nalas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$2 million deal<\/a> with the Department of Defense in 2022 to &#8220;strengthen the domestic critical chemicals industrial base&#8221; and, as it wrote in a July letter to the EPA, is subsequently allowed to\u2062 use banned chemicals &#8220;that \u200dare critical to the\u2063 support of national security.&#8221; The company nonetheless argued\u2064 in the July <a href=\"https:\/\/www.regulations.gov\/comment\/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0465-0286\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter<\/a> that a methylene chloride (DCM) ban would \u2064throw a wrench \u200cinto its supply chain.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Nalas manufactures chemicals that\u200c are critical\u200d to the support of national security. As such, Nalas&#8217; processing of DCM is a \u2063specifically allowable condition of use per the proposed rule,&#8221; the company wrote. &#8220;However, Nalas is\u200c concerned that the \u2064additional proposal constraints\u2014which prohibit uses that account for roughly a third of current DCM production\u2014will have long term supply chain implications.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Another chemical manufacturer, Boulder Scientific Company, echoed those\u2063 concerns, \u2064writing in its\u2063 July <a href=\"https:\/\/www.regulations.gov\/comment\/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0465-0240\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">response<\/a> to the EPA \u2064that a methylene chloride\u200b ban could force large chemical producers &#8220;to seek suppliers of chemicals from non-domestic sources.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The EPA \u200bdid not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>This \u2063is not the first time\u2062 the EPA&#8217;s proposed ban has attracted national-security-related concerns. In September, a Department of Energy laboratory <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/energy\/energy-department-blasts-epas-proposed-chemical-ban-alleging-it-would-hurt-us-ability-to-detect-wmds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">blasted the \u200cagency&#8217;s<\/a> proposed methylene chloride ban, arguing that the move \u2063would hinder \u200cthe lab&#8217;s ability to\u200b detect weapons of mass destruction and conduct &#8220;complex&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-v-china-a-menacing-national-security-trend\/\" title=\"US v China: A Menacing National Security Trend\">national defense research<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;[The laboratory] is concerned that the availability of methylene chloride from\u200b vendors and distributors for these\u2062 important DOE mission research purposes will be limited or non-existent,&#8221; the lab\u200b wrote in a letter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does \u200dthe EPA&#8217;s proposed ban on methylene chloride \u200bimpact the\u200c Department of Defense&#8217;s efforts to promote\u200d domestic production of high-priority chemicals<\/h2>\n<p><span>  A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7272347079931943936\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LinkedIn post<\/a>, the ban on methylene chloride\u2062 &#8220;could severely restrict or eliminate the ability of U.S. businesses to supply critical DoD\u200b requirements\u2064 for domestic delivered chemicals.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>These concerns highlight the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joe-biden-denies-chinese-money-story-that-hunter-biden-confirmed-thats-not-true\/\" title=\"Joe Biden denies Chinese money story that Hunter Biden confirmed: \u2018That\u2019s not true\u2019\">potential national security implications<\/a> of the EPA&#8217;s proposal. The reliance on foreign sources of materials for military gear raises serious\u2064 questions about the resilience and \u2062independence of America&#8217;s defense \u2063apparatuses. A heavily dependent supply chain can create vulnerabilities and expose the country to\u2062 risks, including \u200bdisruptions in the event \u200dof geopolitical\u200d tensions or trade disputes. It\u200d also undermines the United States&#8217; \u2063strategic advantage and jeopardizes its ability \u200bto respond effectively to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-dept-spox-largest-threat-to-u-s-national-security-are-u-s-cops\/\" title=\"State Dept Spox: \u2018Largest Threat to U.S. National Security are U.S. Cops\u2019\">national security threats<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>China&#8217;s dominance in the\u200d chemical\u2064 production\u2064 industry is a significant factor contributing\u200b to\u2064 these\u200d concerns. With its increasing \u200dcontrol and market share, China has become the \u2064largest global\u2062 producer of chemicals, including those essential for military equipment production. The country&#8217;s status as a top exporter of carbon tetrachloride and methylene chloride further \u2063amplifies the issue, \u2064as these\u2064 chemicals play\u200b vital roles in various defense-related applications. By relying on China for critical materials, \u2062the United States becomes vulnerable to potential supply disruptions and compromises that could\u200d impact its military capabilities and\u2064 readiness.<\/p>\n<p>Recognizing the importance of reducing foreign dependency,\u200c the Department of Defense has taken steps \u2064to promote domestic\u2062 production of high-priority chemicals. The Biden administration&#8217;s efforts to strengthen the domestic \u2064critical chemicals\u200b industrial base align \u2064with the goal \u200dof reducing reliance\u2062 on overseas sources\u200b for essential \u2063defense materials. However, the EPA&#8217;s proposed ban on methylene chloride poses a significant \u2062challenge \u2064to these efforts. Even with national\u200c security exemptions, the ban would disrupt the supply \u2063chain and force \u200bmanufacturers to seek\u200d materials \u2064from foreign sources. This undermines the administration&#8217;s stated objective and exposes\u200b potential vulnerabilities in the country&#8217;s defense infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the EPA&#8217;s proposal to\u200b ban methylene chloride, a \u200ckey chemical used in the production of military gear, poses a \u200bthreat to\u200d national security. It would result in increased reliance on foreign sources, particularly China, further compromising the independence and resilience \u200bof\u2063 America&#8217;s defense\u2062 apparatuses. The potential disruptions and compromises associated with a heavily dependent supply chain require careful consideration and proactive measures to safeguard the country&#8217;s strategic advantage and \u200bability to respond effectively to national security threats.\u2063 Balancing environmental concerns and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinas-evergrande-somehow-made-recent-interest-payments-but-default-is-on-the-horizon\/\" title=\"China\u2019s Evergrande Somehow Made Recent Interest Payments But Default is on the Horizon\">national security imperatives<\/a> is paramount, \u2062and policymakers must carefully \u2062weigh these factors when formulating regulations related to critical materials used in \u2062vital defense \u2063applications.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Protection Agency (EPA) proposal has raised concerns among domestic manufacturers as it could lead to the reliance on foreign sources, particularly China, for the production of U.S. military gear. The ban on a key chemical used in military equipment manufacturing has sparked worries about the potential vulnerability of America&#8217;s national defense apparatus<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2112,"featured_media":2157289,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2157288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2157288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2112"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2157288"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2157288\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2157289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2157288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2157288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2157288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}