Sen. Carper Reacts to EPA’s Announcement of New Clean Air Proposal

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement reacting to the Environment Protection Agency’s transport rule announcement:

"As those of us who live in Delaware and other so-called "tail pipe" states on the East Coast know all too well, air pollution knows no boundaries.  Even as Delaware has worked to clean our air, air pollution from neighboring states has adversely affected the health of Delawareans for too long just by virtue of our location.

"Given the difficulty of the assignment, the Environmental Protection Agency has done a great job considering the requirements demanded of them by recent court decisions in crafting this new rule.   There’s no doubt the new rule will help clean the air. Unfortunately, for the EPA to meet previous court rulings, the regulation is complicated and open to further lawsuits, which would likely cause even more delays in meeting our public health targets.    

"For me, and I hope for my colleagues, today’s transport rule underscores the need for Congress to step up to the plate and pass legislation that adequately addresses this complex and critical issue. Legislation that I have sponsored with my Republican colleague Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), the Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010, would effectively accomplish many of the goals of this new rule — cutting mercury emissions by 90 percent from coal-fired power plants and tightening national limits on emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).  My bill, which has broad bipartisan support with 15 cosponsors, would set even greater reductions that what EPA has put forth today, while at the same time giving flexibility to businesses and states to meet those targets.   Just as important, my legislation provides certainty for the business community and the public.  To me, the path forward is clear — Congress must pass legislation to address the serious threat posed by air pollution this year."