Regulation as an economic burden on "job creators"

In some of the coverage of the Federal Government shutdown, I watched some Senator talk about how all federal regulation is unnecessary, an unreasonable and wasteful economic burden on business.

Just one eensy area of federal regulation concerns air quality and the release of pollutants into the atmosphere.

China, without the same level of regulations in this area as the USA, is suffering greatly from air pollution and smog.

It's a perfect example of the value of regulations.  Although I agree that there is some regulatory overreach sure and that the emphasis needs to be on protecting the public and the environment.

Buildings and streets are seen under heavy smog in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang province on October 22, 2013. Thick smog enveloped a major Chinese city for a third day on October 22, with schools and a regional airport shut and poor visibility forcing ground transport to a halt in places.   AFP photo.
 
AFP photo.  A man pushes his bike up a ramp to a bridge in thick smog in Harbin on Oct. 21, 2013. The Chinese city's official news site said: "You can't see your own fingers in front of you."   An index measuring PM2.5, or particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), reached a reading of 1,000 in some parts of Harbin. A level above 300 is considered hazardous, while the World Health Organization recommends a daily level of no more than 20.