Kerry: EPA Final Ruling Underscores Urgency for American Power Act

[ProSense]

Kerry: EPA Final Ruling Underscores Urgency for American Power Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), co-author of the American Power Act, today released a statement following the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcement of their final tailoring rule, which targets the country’s largest emitters, such as power plants and oil refineries. The announcement is a key step in EPA’s efforts to begin regulating greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources beginning January 2011.

“Today we went from ‘wake-up call’ to ‘last call’ on the urgency of Senate action on comprehensive energy and climate legislation. The Obama Administration has again reminded Washington that if Congress won’t legislate, the EPA will regulate,” said Sen. Kerry. “Those who have spent years stalling need to understand: killing a Senate bill is no longer success. And if Congress won’t legislate a solution, the EPA will regulate one, and it will come without the help to America’s business and consumers contained in the American Power Act. That’s why businesses that have opposed every previous piece of legislation are supporting this one because the American Power Act will create millions of new jobs, move us towards energy independence, strengthen our national security, and give us cleaner air at the same time. These groups and companies are doubling down on a clean energy economy because they understand this isn’t a choice, it’s a necessity, and we need to get it done this year.”

Senator Kerry:

Clean Air Act: This part of the bill has generated a lot of commentary and reporting recently, and some of it has just missed the mark. Here's the deal: This bill does not take the EPA out of the mix on regulating carbon. In fact, it strengthens the Clean Air Act by expanding the authority of the EPA and making that authority permanent. First, the entire pollution-reduction program is under the authority of the EPA. The bill specifically requires the EPA to regulate large sources of carbon pollution, but it does not allow it to issue what in many cases would be duplicative regulation of the same sources. Essentially, what the bill says is that EPA should use the program specifically designed for making the deep reductions in carbon pollution called for in the bill. The bill preserves key Clean Air Act tools for sources not in the program, and it calls on EPA to continue setting tough emission standards to reduce global-warming pollution from cars and trucks. It also continues EPA's ability to set performance standards for old, dirty power plants to make sure they clean up.