Ok, the EPA adds maybe a small fraction of the total cost of steel, steel can be made cleanly. I would prefer no EPA but that is a long term goal. No reason to spike a strategic industry because of it?
There are non-union steel mills in the south(a few are left) I would say the 22 right-to-work states could put unions out of business. BTW, union membership is ONLY 6% of the working population.
You are going to find it hard to find someone that feels sorry for executives and CEOs that make 500K to 1M bucks per year. I am sure if their feelings are hurt, they can move to CHINA THEN!
Steel mills are subject to large costs because the EPA controls the levels of air and water discharge and the old mills sit on highly contaminated sites which they must clean up.
Investors have determined that it is not sufficiently profitable to invest in steel in this country. Why do you think that this conclusion is false?
Almost all of our steel making was in states which did not have right to work laws: Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. So profits were reduced by union wages and investment through retained earnings was reduced by them.
The reason union membership has dropped is because the unionized companies gradually reduced operations where unions had too much a hand.
Historically steel production became centralized around the Great Lakes and rivers because they facilitated transport of the huge shipments of coal and oar into and finished product out of the mills. They cannot be transferred just anywhere because of transportation requirements.
Class warfare has always worked in the US and it always works against the lower classes but hate can blind most to their best interests. Hollywood’s propaganda war against business and wealth has been extremely costly and is a major reason the people have been socialized as successfully as they have.