Capitol Report: War on Coal
WASHINGTON – Affordable energy options for Missourians may be a thing of the past if President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) place additional burdensome regulations on coal-fired power plants. Coal is an effective, affordable means of energy that keeps Missouri’s utility rates low. Right now, EPA officials are attempting to wage war on coal by eliminating or restricting its use in energy production. This is not only a war on coal; it is an attack on our way of life in rural America.
For too long, EPA regulations have unduly burdened all of us who rely on coal-powered energy to competitively operate businesses or farms. Some experts believe the EPA’s proposed carbon rule will be the most expensive regulation in U.S. history. This proposed rule would issue a federal mandate to radically cut carbon emissions, thus penalizing coal power plants and driving up the cost of energy. These costs will not only get passed along to consumers on their utility bill; they also will affect the price of goods as businesses’ costs rise.
Not only is the Obama administration’s war on coal disastrous economically, it is not supported scientifically. EPA officials continue to ignore requests to publicly provide the scientific evidence it claims supports its recommendations. If the Environmental Protection Agency is going to implement the most expensive rule in U.S. history, it owes the American people a reasonable, proven explanation of why. Yet, they sit silently.
If the administration believes a lack of transparency is a good thing for Obamacare, then it is not a surprise that the EPA isn’t being honest about the science behind its recommended regulations. The agency regularly implements costly rules without sharing the evidence that supports them. I think we deserve better and 90 percent of Americans agree. Earlier this week, I voted to require the EPA to release its scientific data so that independent scientists can reproduce the results to ensure rules are fact based versus fiction.
Regulations without oversight should be rejected. As a member of Congress, I cannot stand idly by while this President threatens the livelihoods of hardworking Missourians. President Obama should stop using his so-called executive authority to impose unfounded, catastrophic regulations and bring these proposals before congress for a full debate.
Join me in submitting comments to the EPA to protect Missouri’s coal power. Comments are accepted through December 1 online at http://1.usa.gov/V82AoM.