Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§7621 Employment effects

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 85— - AIR POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 7621

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Administrator must keep checking whether enforcing the rules in this law causes people to lose jobs or move to other jobs. The Administrator should look into threatened plant closures or cuts in staff that might be linked to enforcing the rules. Any worker, or a worker’s representative, who is fired, laid off, threatened with firing or layoff, or otherwise hurt at work because of a rule under this law may ask the Administrator to investigate. The request must be written, signed, and explain the reasons. The Administrator must investigate and, if anyone asks, hold public hearings with at least five days’ notice. At hearings, the employer and others must give information about how the rule affects jobs and why the rule is needed. If no hearing is needed, the Administrator must tell the requester in writing why. After the inquiry, the Administrator will write findings and may make recommendations, and the report will be public. The Administrator can issue subpoenas (orders to appear, testify, or produce documents) and give oaths. Business owners can ask that trade secrets be kept confidential (but not emission data); the Administrator will protect such information except when it must be shared with U.S. officials working on the law or used in a case. Witnesses get the same fees and travel pay as federal-court witnesses. If someone refuses a subpoena, a U.S. district court can order them to comply and punish refusal. Nothing here lets or forces the Administrator, states, or local governments to change or remove any rule.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §7621

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Administrator shall conduct continuing evaluations of potential loss or shifts of employment which may result from the administration or enforcement of the provision of this chapter and applicable implementation plans, including where appropriate, investigating threatened plant closures or reductions in employment allegedly resulting from such administration or enforcement.
(b)Any employee, or any representative of such employee, who is discharged or laid off, threatened with discharge or layoff, or whose employment is otherwise adversely affected or threatened to be adversely affected because of the alleged results of any requirement imposed or proposed to be imposed under this chapter, including any requirement applicable to Federal facilities and any requirement imposed by a State or political subdivision thereof, may request the Administrator to conduct a full investigation of the matter. Any such request shall be reduced to writing, shall set forth with reasonable particularity the grounds for the request, and shall be signed by the employee, or representative of such employee, making the request. The Administrator shall thereupon investigate the matter and, at the request of any party, shall hold public hearings on not less than five days’ notice. At such hearings, the Administrator shall require the parties, including the employer involved, to present information relating to the actual or potential effect of such requirements on employment and the detailed reasons or justification therefor. If the Administrator determines that there are no reasonable grounds for conducting a public hearing he shall notify (in writing) the party requesting such hearing of such a determination and the reasons therefor. If the Administrator does convene such a hearing, the hearing shall be on the record. Upon receiving the report of such investigation, the Administrator shall make findings of fact as to the effect of such requirements on employment and on the alleged actual or potential discharge, layoff, or other adverse effect on employment, and shall make such recommendations as he deems appropriate. Such report, findings, and recommendations shall be available to the public.
(c)In connection with any investigation or public hearing conducted under subsection (b) of this section or as authorized in section 7419 of this title (relating to primary nonferrous smelter orders), the Administrator may issue subpenas for the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of relevant papers, books and documents, and he may administer oaths. Except for emission data, upon a showing satisfactory to the Administrator by such owner or operator that such papers, books, documents, or information or particular part thereof, if made public, would divulge trade secrets or secret processes of such owner, or operator, the Administrator shall consider such record, report, or information or particular portion thereof confidential in accordance with the purposes of section 1905 of title 18, except that such paper, book, document, or information may be disclosed to other officers, employees, or authorized representatives of the United States concerned with carrying out this chapter, or when relevant in any proceeding under this chapter. Witnesses summoned shall be paid the same fees and mileage that are paid witnesses in the courts of the United States. In cases of contumacy or refusal to obey a subpena served upon any person under this subparagraph,11 So in original. Probably should be “subsection,” the district court of the United States for any district in which such person is found or resides or transacts business, upon application by the United States and after notice to such person, shall have jurisdiction to issue an order requiring such person to appear and give testimony before the Administrator, to appear and produce papers, books, and documents before the Administrator, or both, and any failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by such court as a contempt thereof.
(d)Nothing in this section shall be construed to require or authorize the Administrator, the States, or political subdivisions thereof, to modify or withdraw any requirement imposed or proposed to be imposed under this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Aug. 7, 1977, except as otherwise expressly provided, see section 406(d) of Pub. L. 95–95, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1977 Amendment note under section 7401 of this title. Study of Potential Dislocation of Employees Pub. L. 95–95, title IV, § 403(e), Aug. 7, 1977, 91 Stat. 793, provided that the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Administrator, conduct a study of potential dislocation of employees due to implementation of laws administered by the Administrator and that the Secretary submit to Congress the results of the study not more than one year after Aug. 7, 1977.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 7621

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73