Texas Environmental Quality Chair Joins Smith in Criticizing EPA Power Plan
Washington, D.C. – September 14, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today welcomed Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Chairman Dr. Bryan Shaw, who testified before a Subcommittee on Environment hearing to examine the impacts of the Environmental Protection Agency’s power plan regulation. The plan would require Texas to shoulder the burden of at least 18 percent of the total national emissions reduction.
Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX): “The Obama administration ignored the outcry from stakeholders and the American public when it issued the final rule on its Power Plan.The Clean Air Act was never intended to regulate carbon. It is well documented that the final plan will shut down power plants across the country, increase electricity prices and cost thousands of Americans their jobs. My home state of Texas would be one of the hardest hit. The state would be forced to close affordable coal-fired power plants, which also provide reliable electricity during peak usage times in the summer. This rule represents massive costs without significant benefits. In other words, it’s all pain and no gain.”
The Obama administration is preparing final steps before implementing the rule to regulate carbon emissions from power plants, which could happen as early as October.
Dr. Shaw: “As the leader of this agency, my job is to ensure we carry out our mission to mitigate environmental risks, while basing all of our regulations on sound science and compliance with state and federal statutes. In every case where Texas disagrees with EPA’s actions, it is because EPA’s actions are not consistent with these principles.
“The rule is still riddled with technical flaws that make it impractical and/or impossible to implement, and the EPA has not given states, especially Texas, nearly enough time to formulate and submit a state plan. And all this when even the EPA acknowledges that this rule will not have a single discernible impact on climate change or sea level rise. I would be derelict in my duty to protect the TCEQ’s mission if I did not make plain this Rule’s shortcomings.”
The final regulation released by EPA on August 3rd created emissions requirements with more stringent emissions guidelines for states that rely most heavily on fossil energy for electricity.
For more information about today’s hearing, including the webcast and witness testimony, visit the Committee’s website.
