This week, the EPA announced that it will hold a public hearing in Charleston, West Virginia on Monday Nov. 27 and Tuesday, Nov. 28 to receive public input on President Trump’s proposal to repeal the EPA’s Clean Power Plan regulation to reduce carbon emissions in the U.S.  In October, the EPA released a proposed rule to repeal the Clean Power Plan - the Obama era EPA regulation to reduce carbon emissions from power plants. 

Regulation repealing the Clean Power Plan significantly changes how the EPA estimates costs and benefits associated with reducing GHG emissions. The repeal regulation only counts the benefits associated with reduced carbon emissions and does not consider the benefits associated with reductions on other pollutants (ozone, PM, NOx, SOx) that would have been achieved under the Clean Power Plan.  The repeal regulation also assumes no health benefits for reducing air pollution below the EPA established levels. 

The ATS will participate in the public hearing and speak in support of taking action on reducing greenhouse gases.  In particular, the ATS will challenge many of the altered cost-benefit assumptions made in the EPA’s repeal regulation and emphasize the compelling science documenting the need to address climate change.

ATS members can request to speak at the EPA public hearing by sending an email to:  airaction@epa.gov.