October 09, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Judith Nemes, ELPC | 312-795-3706 or [email protected]
David Miller, Ohio Environmental Council | 614-487-7506 or [email protected]
Jennifer Caddick, Alliance for the Great Lakes | 312-445-9760 or [email protected]
Midwest Environmentalists’ Statement: Trump’s Clean Power Plan Repeal & Replace Falls Flat
Clean Energy Economy Moving Forward, Climate Change Solutions Vital
STATEMENT BY HOWARD A. LEARNER, Executive Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center; HEATHER TAYLOR-MIESLE, Executive Director, The Ohio Environmental Council; and JOEL BRAMMEIER, President & CEO, Alliance for the Great Lakes.
Today U.S. EPA proposed to repeal and weaken the Clean Power Plan. This proposal, which will be filed in the Federal Register on Tuesday, would apparently limit the reductions that owners of old coal must make to actions strictly within the “fence line” of the plants. That would result in less pollution reductions and missed opportunities for progress. Below, find statements from Howard Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC); Heather Taylor-Miesle, Executive Director, Ohio Environmental Council; and Joel Brammeier, President & CEO, Alliance for the Great Lakes.
Howard Learner, Executive Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center
“The Trump Administration’s climate action repeal and replace proposal is a public subsidy for old coal plants to emit more pollution. It misses sensible opportunities to boost clean energy and avoid pollution in ways that make economic sense.
“The economics of avoiding carbon pollution through wind power, solar energy and energy efficiency are stronger than ever. Clean energy technology is advancing and moving forward.
“Across the Midwest, ELPC is working with local stakeholders to help create jobs generating clean power while cutting carbon pollution, improve air and water quality, and protect public health and defend the Great Lakes from the growing threats of climate change.
“It’s time for Midwest governors and mayors act and accelerate real climate change solutions. The benefits of the clean, modern economy are too good to pass up and too important to delay even as the Trump Administration bypasses the economic benefits of the clean energy future.”
Heather Taylor-Miesle, Executive Director, Ohio Environmental Council
“With the decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan, the Trump Administration just put the health, safety, and security of all Americans at risk from worsening air pollution as a result of climate change. Keeping the Clean Power Plan makes sense for the environment and the economy. President Trump’s short-sighted decision means we will lose out on a $2.1 billion GDP increase and 20,000 jobs in Ohio.
“This brazen decision to dismantle our first and only federal limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants will result in dirtier air in Ohio, putting our children’s health at risk. With Lake Erie currently covered by a toxic algae bloom the size of 250,000 football fields, we don’t need our efforts to protect the health of Ohioans undermined by the Trump Administration.
“Refusing to address climate change is not an option. Storms are getting worse. Temperatures are on the rise. Algal blooms on Lake Erie and the Ohio River are getting larger. Rolling back the Clean Power Plan is the wrong decision. Now is the time for real solutions to this very real threat.”
Joel Brammeier, President & CEO, Alliance for the Great Lakes
“Climate change is making bad Great Lakes problems worse every day. A warming planet means more green slime and toxic algae in our lakes, more extreme storms that flood sewers and damage people’s property, and more habitat for pernicious invasive species. Cleaner energy is a critical contributor to leaving our Great Lakes protected for generations to come.”