Coal-state Dems challenge EPA on its climate-action plans

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http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/82427-coal-state-dems-attack-epa-climate-plans

Coal-state Dems challenge EPA on its climate-action plans

By Ben Geman - 02/20/10 08:46 AM ET

Eight Senate Democrats jointly said Friday that they fear the economic effects of planned EPA global warming rules, signaling a widening Democratic challenge to EPA action even as legislation to create a new climate-change program remains stuck.

The Democrats, who hail mostly from coal-producing and coal-reliant states, http://thehill.com/images/stories/blogs/letter%20to%20lisa%20jackson%202-19-10.pdf">said in a letter to the EPA that they have “serious economic and energy security concerns” about rules to limit greenhouse gases from power plants and other stationary sources.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.) spearheaded the letter, which was also signed by Sens. Max Baucus (Mont.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Mark Begich (Alaska), Robert Byrd (W.Va.), Robert Casey (Penn.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.) and Carl Levin (Mich.).

“We remain concerned about the possible impacts on American workers and businesses in a number of industrial sectors, along with the farmers, miners, and small business owners who could be affected as your agency moves beyond automobile emissions standards to implement regulations to curtail GHG pollution from stationary sources,” states the letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.

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