NMA: Today's Mercury Rule Deadline Dramatizes Growing Costs of EPA's Power Plant Regulations

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National Mining Association (NMA) President and CEO Hal Quinn today issued the following statement on the escalating impacts on households and manufacturers of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Mercury and Air Toxics (MATS) regulation, effective today, and the agency's pending "Clean Power Plan" for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants expected this summer:

"Today the most costly and unbalanced regulation in EPA's history takes effect and guarantees Americans will pay substantially more for their electricity for years to come.  With an annual price tag of almost $10 billion, EPA estimates that its MATS rule will return at most $6 million in benefits—with most of the costs attributable to regulating emissions the agency found pose no danger.

"Unbowed, EPA now proposes to double down by foisting a similarly destructive rule on the states to reduce carbon emissions. Earlier this week, EPA voiced the administration's opposition to the Ratepayer Protection Act, a bill that would empower governors to protect their citizens from this latest EPA plan that experts warn will bring an even more expensive and risky energy future.

"EPA assured members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee that the agency will address cost and reliability concerns in its new costly power plan. Skepticism should rule the day, however when EPA issued the final MATS rule, it declared that while it could consider costs, it was also free to ignore them.  And ignore them it did, with a rule demanding consumers pay $1600 in exchange for $1 in benefits.  

"As the nation's governors weigh signing up their states for EPA's Clean Power Plan, they should consider the damage EPA has already done to the states' rate payers, manufacturing base and electric grid."

The National Mining Association (NMA) is the voice of the American mining industry in Washington, D.C. Membership includes more than 325 corporations involved in all aspects of coal and solid minerals production including coal, metal and industrial mineral producers, mineral processors, equipment manufacturers, state mining associations, bulk transporters, engineering firms, consultants, financial institutions and other companies that supply goods and services to the mining industry.

Contact:
Nancy Gravatt
(202) 463-2642
[email protected]

Luke Popovich
(202) 463-2620
[email protected]

SOURCE National Mining Association

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