West Virginia Lawmakers Press Governor to Not Submit Plan for EPA Climate Rule

Via Politico:

West Virginia’s House delegation today is calling on Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to heed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s “just say no” campaign against the EPA’s Clean Power Plan.

“As you consider West Virginia’s response we urge you to consider NOT submitting a state implementation plan due to concerns over EPA’s legal justification and the impact the CPP will have on jobs, electricity prices, and reliability,” Reps. David McKinley, Alex Mooney, and Evan Jenkins wrote. All three are Republicans.

The CPP, EPA’s proposed greenhouse gas rule for existing power plants, will “undeniably force the state to change the way it produces electricity,” the trio added. The plan is also “detrimental to West Virginia’s coal industry and the jobs that depend on it.”

The letter also cites critical statements by Harvard Law School professor Laurence Tribe, who is representing coal miner Peabody Energy in fighting the upcoming rule, as well as comments from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.

Although the GOP lawmakers didn’t mention McConnell by name, they referenced his recent comments that called into question whether states could legally cooperate to reduce emissions without first getting Congress’ approval.

The letter adds: “The EPA is trying to compel states to do more themselves than what the agency would be authorized to do on its own.

See the article here.