Palmer: EPA Should Listen to the States

For Immediate Release

Washington D.C. – Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL), a member of the Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Environment, participated in a hearing with various state experts on the effects of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ‘Clean Power Plan,' a rule which would require states to meet certain standards for carbon emissions. State experts testified that that this rule will harm the economies of their states and destroy jobs.

"The Clean Power Plan is one of the worst examples of EPA overreach," Palmer said. "This is not about air quality, but climate change, on which this rule will have no real impact. The EPA's own policy analysis model says that the plan will only decrease global temperatures by 0.019°C by the year 2100.

"Moreover, this plan will increase electricity rates and will have a have a disproportionate effect on poor Black and Hispanic Americans. A study commissioned by the Black Chamber of Commerce concludes that, by 2035, the Clean Power Plan will increase black poverty rates by 23 percent and cause the loss of 7 million jobs for black Americans and would increase Hispanic poverty by 26 percent and cause the loss of 12 million jobs for Hispanic Americans.

Seventeen states are now suing the EPA to overturn the Clean Power Plan on the grounds that the EPA lacks the statutory authority to craft this rule.

"The EPA's plan is on shaky legal ground, and may well be overturned by the courts," Palmer said. "However, even the threat of implementation will have serious economic consequences. Therefore, states should consider not implementing the rule until the Courts decide the issue."

You can watch Congressman Palmer's remarks here:

https://youtu.be/I6p2bucJw2U

For any additional questions, contact:
Cliff Smith, (202) 225-4921, clifford.smith@mail.house.gov

U.S. Representative Gary Palmer (R-AL) serves on three Congressional committees: Oversight and Government Reform, Budget, and Science, Space and Technology. Visit Palmer online at his website or via Facebook,Twitter, or Instagram.