Cathy Craddock received the response below from Sen. Bob Casey in regards to a question as to how he would vote on SJ Res 37 introduced by Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) which would delay implementation of President Obama’s EPA mandate regulating mercury emissions that would cost coal states thousands of jobs — 11,000 in Pennsylvania — and drastically increase the cost of electricity.
Sen. Casey doesn’t care and doesn’t get it. Tom Smith, the Republican seeking to replace him this November, does.
Anyway, here is Sen. Casey’s “say nothing” response:
Dear Ms. Craddock:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed regulation of mercury and other air pollutants from electric utility power plants to advance a new maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standard. This proposed regulation is also known as Utility MACT. I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.
On May 3, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed regulations under the Clean Air Act that address emissions from electric utility power plants. The EPA was required to propose such regulations as the result of an earlier court order. The EPA held three public hearings to listen to people’s concerns about the proposed regulations. One of these hearings occurred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 24, 2011. The EPA issued the final rule on December 16, 2011. Following publication of the final standards in the Federal Register, existing power plants will have three years, with a possible one-year extension, to meet the standards.
On November 9, 2011, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia introduced S. 1833, the Fair Compliance Act of 2011. S. 1833 would extend the Utility MACT compliance date by at least 2 years and would extend the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule until 2015. The Fair Compliance Act was referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, of which I am not a member. Should this legislation reach the full Senate for consideration, please be assured that I will keep your views in mind.
Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma introduced S.J.Res. 37 on February 16, 2012. S.J.Res. 37 would disapprove of and nullify the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relating to national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants from electric utility power plants. S.J.Res. 37 is a Congressional Review Act measure, which if passed by both Houses of Congress would nullify the EPA’s Utility MACT rule.
I am particularly concerned about the effect of pollution on vulnerable populations, like children and people with medical conditions, such as asthma. How this threat is addressed is important for a state like Pennsylvania during an economic recovery. I understand that while some people strongly oppose S. 1833 and S.J.Res. 37, other people strongly support these measures. As I continue to work on these issues, please be assured that I will continue to keep your views in mind. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.
For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, casey.senate.gov. I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.
Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator