Complete list of press releases

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: 
Joaquin McPeek, 916-492-7173, jmcpeek@edf.org

“Environmental Defense Fund congratulates Kevin De Leon on being elected the new President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Senator De Leon is a strong environmental leader who will play a key role in realizing California’s clean energy potential and furthering our commitment to job growth and cleaner air. We look forward to a continued and expanded partnership with Senator De Leon to marshal innovative policies that strengthen the environmental and economic vitality of California.”

-Lauren Faber, West Coast Political Director of Environmental Defense Fund

“In the past, Environmental Defense Fund has been pleased to praise Governor John Kasich for his leadership on reducing harmful air pollution from oil and gas production and bringing diverse stakeholders together to put clean energy standards in place that are good for Ohio’s economy, health and environment. Sincere praise, however, is only meaningful when we are prepared to offer necessary criticism. Unfortunately, the bill the Governor signed into law today can only be viewed as a step backwards for the state. Senate Bill 310 dismantles existing policy that is attracting new energy innovation, investment and jobs to the state and providing documented savings. Ohioans deserve better.”   

• Cheryl Roberto, Associate Vice President, Clean Energy at Environmental Defense Fund

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 11, 2014) Environmental Defense Fund welcomes SWEPI LP (Shell) to the list of companies participating in the pioneering “Methane Detectors Challenge” with seven days remaining for technology developers to submit proposals. Announced on April 3, the Challenge is a collaborative project between EDF and five other oil and natural gas companies aimed at identifying and bringing to market new, cutting-edge technologies that could ultimately help reduce methane emissions from oil and natural gas operations.

“Shell is pleased to join the ‘Methane Detectors Challenge’, an innovative approach to continuously improve the techniques and tools available to industry to take full advantage of the benefits of natural gas in a responsible and sustainable way,” said Paul Goodfellow, Vice President – U.S. for Shell Upstream Americas’ Unconventionals business. 

Methane emissions present both an economic and environmental opportunity for the oil and gas industry. There is a market need for cost-effective technologies that provide continuous detection of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that can escape to the atmosphere during production, transportation and delivery of natural gas. Shell joins Apache Corporation, BG Group, Hess Corporation, Noble Energy and Southwestern Energy as an industry partner in this effort to help catalyze new technologies for enhanced detection of oil and gas emissions.

“Shell is one of the largest global energy companies and its participation adds a new level of support and expertise,” said Ben Ratner, EDF natural gas program manager. “EDF initiated this Challenge to jumpstart the market for new solutions that could cut emission detection time from months to minutes. We have already received strong interest from innovators at private companies and universities – and with Shell onboard, we expect that to grow.”

Full details on the Methane Detectors Challenge, including the Request for Proposal and downloadable Application Form, can be found at www.edf.org/methanedetectors. Proposals are due no later than June 17, 2014, 5 PM Eastern time.

(Portland, Ore. – June 3, 2014) Citing the transition to catch shares management as a key to rebuilding stocks and reducing bycatch, 13 species caught by the West Coast trawl fishery today earned designation from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) as sustainable. The designation opens up new markets for a fishery that spans California, Oregon and Washington, and accounted for more than 40 million pounds in landings in 2013.

The MSC designation comes after years of work to improve the sustainability of the fishery, including the adoption of a catch share program in 2011, after the fishery was declared a federal disaster in 2000. Through the cooperation of fishermen, fishery managers, EDF and others, a catch share program was designed and implemented for the fishery that rebuilds and manages stocks to ensure long-term sustainability.

“The MSC designation is a testimony to the environmental and economic benefits we can achieve by working together to solve major fisheries challenges,” said Shems Jud, deputy regional director for the Pacific region with EDF’s Oceans Program. “It may come as a surprise for some to learn that commercial fishermen and environmentalists work closely together, but we’ve been doing that successfully here for almost 10 years and the result is a win-win for fish and fishermen.”

Catch shares takes the science-based catch limit for the fishery and divides the total sustainable amount of fish that can be caught into individual quotas that each fisherman can catch throughout the year. Once implemented, catch shares ensure fishermen stay within the fishery’s sustainable limit while giving them a direct stake in its success and the flexibility to fish when it make sense for them.

According to Brad Pettinger, director of the Oregon Trawl Commission, the implementation of catch shares in 2011 was a milestone for the fishery.

“The changes made under the catch share program got us over many of the hurdles on our way to gaining MSC certification, which is a game-changer for us,” said Pettinger. “Working with the Pacific Fishery Management Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service, we have renewed our social contract with America’s seafood consumers by demonstrating conclusively that we can manage and harvest these species in a sustainable fashion.”

The catch share program that includes these newly certified species takes the commitment to sustainability even further with its monitoring program. Federal monitors travel aboard each vessel to verify that the entire catch is accounted for and meets the requirements of the program.

“We want to acknowledge the very difficult adaptations that fishermen have made as they work to rebuild this major American fishery,” said Jud. “Today, rates of bycatch and discards have plummeted, while overfished species are rebuilding more rapidly than initially anticipated. At the same time, fishing businesses are able to fish more efficiently under the new management system.”

The MSC’s exhaustive Final Report & Determination, more than 400 pages in length, enumerates several strengths of the West Coast groundfish trawl fishery, including:

• Analytical stock assessments are carried out for most species, and there is a strong link between assessment results and management actions;
• The management plan establishes individual accountability on the part of fishermen and delivers more complete data for fishery managers;
• Sensitive habitats are protected in areas of “essential fish habitat,” and additional areas deemed off-limits to bottom trawls;
• The management system is transparent and open to the public;
• Management of the fishery is based on the best scientific information; and
• The catch share program provides incentives for sustainable fishing.

“For West Coast consumers, this announcement means that their options for buying local and certifiably sustainable fish have just expanded dramatically,” said Geoff Bettencourt, a commercial fisherman from Half Moon Bay, CA. “And that’s great news for everyone who loves seafood.”

The certification of this fishery includes the first MSC certified rockfish species: Chilipepper rockfish, Longspine Thornyheads, Shortspine Thornyheads, Splitnose Rockfish, Widow Rockfish and Yellowtail Rockfish. It also includes the first MSC certified skate species, Longnose Skates. The remaining certified species include Arrowtooth Flounder, Dover Sole, English Sole, Ling Cod, Petrale, and Sablefish (also known as Black Cod or Butterfish).

(Raleigh, NC – June 2, 2014) Carbon pollution standards released today by the U.S. Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) put national limits on the amount of carbon pollution emitted by power plants. The following statement may be attributed to Greg Andeck, clean energy senior manager in the North Carolina regional office of Environmental Defense Fund:

“The EPA standards will, for the first time, place reasonable limits on carbon pollution from power plants. These standards are timely and urgently needed. The recent North Carolina coal ash spills make it clear that energy from power plants has huge hidden costs on the environment and human health.”

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Keith Gaby, 202-572-3336, kgaby@edf.org
Sharyn Stein, 202-572-3396, sstein@edf.org

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today hailed the Clean Power Plan, a groundbreaking proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the current fleet of U.S. power plants.

“This historic Clean Power Plan would, for the first time, place meaningful limits on climate pollution from power plants,” said EDF President Fred Krupp. “It’s the single largest step our country has yet taken to address the threat of climate change, and the kind of leadership we need to meet this urgent challenge. Right now we set limits for pollutants such as mercury and arsenic, yet power plants can put an unlimited amount of carbon pollution into the air. A smart, strong limit on that pollution will be a great stride toward protecting public health and building a prosperous clean energy economy. And the good news is that by deploying cleaner, more efficient energy, states and power companies across America are already well on the way to achieving the proposed targets — carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector are 14% lower today than they were in 2005.”

To help ensure that America forges a strong and prosperous clean energy economy, the Clean Power Plan proposed today provide states with the flexibility they need to design tailored plans to secure carbon pollution reductions. They offer states a wide variety of options to meet their compliance targets, allowing them to determine the path that works best for their economy, their citizens’ needs, and their regional climate. Power plants are responsible for 40 percent of total U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from energy. Reducing carbon pollution from power plants is an idea that already has widespread support, with 64 percent of Americans supporting “strict limits.” The idea has already been endorsed by a wide range of stakeholders.

“This groundbreaking proposal recognizes many cost-effective ways to reduce emissions, and we will work hard to make the case that deep reductions can be secured in the near term by deploying clean energy and energy efficiency,” Krupp added. “We need a final rule next summer that is both smart and strong. This proposal is smart, because it provides flexibility to states and power companies to innovate and design plans that make the most sense for them, including the type of market incentives that allow greater pollution reductions at less cost. This design will work best when paired with clear, strong targets that protect public health and the environment, so we will need to make sure that the final standards are strong enough to put us on a pathway to the low-carbon power sector of the future. In the days ahead EDF will be pushing to strengthen them in order to ensure that they offer the maximum protection possible from the dangers of climate change.”

The Third National Climate Assessment, released a month ago, found that Americans across the country are already feeling the health and public safety impacts of climate change – through increased heat waves everywhere, intense drought and more wildfires in the Southwest, more flooding in Midwest, and sea level rise along the coasts. In the past three decades, the percentage of Americans with asthma has more than doubled, and climate change is putting those Americans at greater risk of landing in the hospital. The Clean Power Plan is a critical step toward reducing the pollution that causes climate change.

Read more about the carbon pollution from power plants on our blog, or see our Top Ten Facts about the Clean Power Plan.

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Keith Gaby, 202-572-3336, kgaby@edf.org
Sharyn Stein, 202-572-3396, sstein@edf.org

“A strong limit on carbon pollution from power plants will be a historic step forward in the fight to protect our health and our economic future. Americans are ready for an end to the era of unlimited carbon pollution from smokestacks, with nearly two-thirds supporting strong limits on emissions from power plants.”

“America needs standards that are strong and flexible, empowering states and industry to find innovative ways to cut pollution and build a dynamic clean energy economy. EPA has made a real effort to listen to everyone as they designed an approach that works for both our economy and our environment – a promising start to a historic rulemaking process.”

                    - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Megan Ceronsky, 303-447-7224, mceronsky@edf.org
Sharyn Stein, 202-572-3396, sstein@edf.org

On Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to propose the Carbon Pollution Standards for power plants.

It’s an historic new step in America’s efforts to address climate change.

In anticipation of Monday’s announcement, Environmental Defense Fund has put together this list of ten helpful facts about carbon pollution, clean energy and climate change. We hope you’ll find them useful.

1. There are currently no national limits on carbon pollution from power plants.

2. Power plants account for almost 40 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from energy.

3. In 2011, carbon pollution from the U.S. power sector exceeded total pollution levels from all nations except the U.S. and China.

4. The single most carbon dioxide emitting power plant in the United States produced more than 21 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2011 – more than the total energy-related emissions of eight states and 120 countries.

5. America had 3.4 million green energy jobs in 2011. Between 2010 and 2011, green jobs grew four times as fast as other jobs.

6. Every dollar invested into clean energy creates approximately three times as many jobs as the same dollar invested into fossil fuels.

7. In 2012, rooftop solar panels cost approximately one percent of what they did 35 years ago.

8. Between 2011 and 2013, wind generation in the United States increased by 40 percent.

9. In 2010, Americans using ENERGY STAR products and retrofits saved the energy equivalent of approximately 45 power plants — preventing 195 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, and saving more than $20 billion in their energy bills.

10. 64 percent of Americans support setting strict carbon dioxide emission limits on existing power plants. 

(WASHINGTON – May 30, 2014) In a strong show of bipartisanship, the U.S. House of Representatives early this morning beat back an attempt to deprive U.S. fishery managers of a tool that is helping to bring back fish populations and improve the livelihoods of fishermen across the country.

On a 185-223 vote, the House rejected an amendment by Rep. Steve Southerland (R-FL) that would have banned development of the fisheries management tool known as catch shares in Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico fisheries. The amendment, which had on two previous occasions attracted majority support from the House, would have tied the hands of regional fisheries managers, preventing them from pursuing innovative management approaches and in some cases entrenching failed management systems. The vote came during floor debate on the FY15 Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill.

A number of Members who had previously supported Rep. Southerland changed their position – a clear sign that lawmakers, like fishermen, are coming to understand catch shares’ benefits. As management change has proven successful on the water and sentiment on the dock has changed, more and more lawmakers are hearing from their fishing constituents about what catch share management offers.

“This bipartisan vote is a victory for American fishermen, coastal communities and sustainable management,” said Matt Tinning, senior director, U.S. Oceans Program, Environmental Defense Fund. “We are in the midst of a sea change in American fisheries. In many parts of the country we are rebounding from decades of failure thanks to innovative management approaches like catch shares that give fishermen the tools they need to succeed. In many fisheries, fish populations are rebounding, fishing opportunities and revenues are increasing, and coastal communities are seeing benefits.”

About 65% of all fish caught in U.S. federal waters are now under a management program called catch shares, which can help secure the health of fisheries and the livelihoods of fishermen. In the last 10 years, a period during which EDF has worked with local fishermen to reform management in many parts of the country, fleet-wide revenues have increased 68% and fisherman safety has improved three-fold, while the amount of fish allowed to be caught has increased 19%. The total allowable catch for Gulf of Mexico red snapper, once on the verge of collapse, has increased 120 percent since 2008, and many other species are also recovering. 

Catch shares is gaining widespread use across the country due to the economic and conservation benefits they deliver. They work by giving fishermen a direct stake in sustainable management of their fishery by setting a science-based catch limit and allocating portions of the total allowable catch among the fishermen.

“With the defeat of this amendment, fishery managers and local stakeholders have the opportunity to explore new management approaches that can deliver a more prosperous fishing future,” said Tinning. “EDF is committed to working with fishermen, managers and other stakeholders to take full advantage.”

Video of the floor debate: https://vimeo.com/96869814

The roll call vote (12:34AM; vote 261):
http://clerk.house.gov/floorsummary/floor.aspx?day=20140529&today=20140530

(Raleigh, NC – May 29, 2014) The North Carolina House today passed Senate Bill 786, a bill that lifts the prohibition on issuing permits for oil and gas development in the state. The following statement may be attributed to David Kelly, senior analyst in the Raleigh regional office of Environmental Defense Fund:

“Lawmakers jumped the gun by voting to allow permitting. Legislators assured North Carolinians that the state would establish safeguards that would be among the best in the country.

Some of the rules are strong, like those on well construction. Others miss the mark. The proposed wastewater rules mistakenly allow treated wastewater from oil and gas operations to be discharged into rivers and streams. What’s troubling is that the state has no water quality standards for many of the contaminants in the wastewater.

“If drilling comes to our state, we deserve assurance that it will not come at the expense of our health or environment. We can learn from the experiences of other states, and we can do better.”

(SACRAMENTO, California – May 29, 2014) Environmental Defense Fund commended the California State Senate today for taking the next step in passing the nation’s leading legislation to reduce methane pollution from natural gas utilities. SB1371, authored by Mark Leno, will now head to the State Assembly. Methane, the primary ingredient in natural gas, is a potent climate pollutant  - 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over 20 years – and gas utility infrastructure, including pipes and associated equipment, is a major source of this powerful greenhouse gas pollutant. 

California is the nation’s second largest consumer of natural gas, and has over 100,000 miles of pipes and other equipment that delivers natural gas to customers across the state.  While gas utilities are required to conduct periodic inspections of their systems and fix leaks they determine are an immediate danger to public safety, there is no requirement for utilities to fix leaks that pose an environmental threat. SB 1371 will close this loophole, requiring the California Public Utilities Commission and the gas utilities they regulate to address leaks that pose a significant environmental risk in addition to a safety risk, and determine best practices for leak identification, leak repair, and leak avoidance adapted to the realities of each gas utility.

“The science is clear: to effectively battle dangerous climate change we need to reduce short term climate forcers, like methane, as well as carbon dioxide, which warms our planet in the long run,” said Tim O’Connor, Director of EDF’s California Climate Initiative. “Senator Leno’s bill addresses a significant gap in California’s otherwise comprehensive effort to battle climate change.”

O’Connor added “This is a pocketbook issue besides – California’s natural gas customers are paying for this gas, whether it is delivered to their homes, or lost through leaks. Fixing leaks means consumers are getting more of what they are actually paying for.” 

(Washington, D.C. – May 29, 2014) Power plants are the single largest source of climate pollution in the country, yet they can currently emit unlimited amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

But most Americans think that has to change, with 64% supporting “strict limits” on carbon pollution. 

EPA’s forthcoming announcement of new Carbon Pollution Standards for power plants has won widespread support from a diverse set of voices. Those voices range from health organizations to small businesses, from cities and municipalities to local elected officials, and from minority advocates to faith groups. 

Here are just a handful of the endorsements for establishing Carbon Pollution Standards for power plants:

“President Obama has a historic opportunity to protect public health by establishing the first-ever federal limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants. Warmer temperatures from carbon pollution make high ozone days more likely, and there are no limits on the amount of carbon pollution that existing power plants can emit. If you support protecting public health, join us in calling on the President to set strong, enforceable federal standards.”

            - American Lung Association

“As you know, the many communities that we represent are already feeling the effects of climate change now. We recognize, and are already seeing the economic and environmental benefits of a shift to clean energy that avoids the harmful emissions that cause global warming. We are also working to protect our communities with resilience strategies, but we also look forward to a strong partnership with the federal government to help us make our communities even stronger …

“Under your leadership, we can help you achieve the key pillars of your plan to reduce carbon pollution, especially the first-ever national limits on carbon pollution from power plants, increases in the energy efficiency of our built environment, and smarter investments in our country’s renewable energy infrastructure.”

            - Letter from 600 State and Local Officials to President Obama

“Power plants emit 40% of carbon pollution in the country, posing a major threat to Creation and the welfare of humankind. Yet there are currently no limits on carbon pollution from power plants. Just as the EPA has enforced safeguards to protect our health from arsenic, mercury and lead, the EPA can and must protect our health and take action on dangerous carbon pollution …

“A strong standard for carbon pollution from new power plants, coupled with an upcoming standard for existing power plants, represent a historic effort to address the nation’s largest cause of global climate changing pollution, and we applaud the EPA for their work.”

             - Interfaith Power & Light

“Taking steps to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide are essential to protect our children and future generations from the effects of climate change. LWVUS urges the EPA to go even further by limiting carbon pollution from existing power plants to achieve at least a 20 percent reduction below 1990 levels by 2020.”

            - League of Women Voters

“We look forward to working with EPA to also set rules on the carbon pollution coming from existing power plants that are currently dumping unlimited amounts of carbon pollution into our air.”

            -  Adrianna Quintero, Voces Verdes

“Limiting carbon pollution from power plants will spur innovation and investment in clean energy, growing our economy, while helping curb the effects of climate change and extreme weather that have devastating impacts on small businesses and the economy. Clean air and renewable energy standards like those developed and implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency will help us move toward a 21st Century clean energy economy.”

            - Small Business Majority

The Ohio House of Representatives this afternoon approved legislation (SB 310) that would derail the state’s renewable portfolio standards and energy efficiency directives.  The bill now moves on to Governor Kasich, whose spokesman Rob Nichols, sadly released a statement this afternoon stating that “the governor looks forward to signing the bill.”

“We worry some legislators and utility monopolies have misled the Governor about the bill’s true impact, which will reduce investment and jobs in Ohio and cause energy costs to rise.  The Governor still has time to veto the bill, and Environmental Defense Fund urges him to do so.”

If Governor Kasich signs the bill, Ohio unfortunately will become the first state in the nation to reverse its clean energy standards.  These are the same standards that are saving families money and bringing huge investments into the state, supporting more than 25,000 jobs, saving consumers over $1 billion on their electricity bills, and slashing the Buckeye State’s toxic air pollution. 

Although the Governor’s office promises that they’ve “rejected the efforts by those who’d like to kill renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts altogether,” dismantling Ohio’s clean energy standards, even if for a “freeze,” will cost the state its place as a national leader in the clean energy economy.  The bill causes uncertainty for private investors and the many clean energy companies in the state.  Without legislative support, the strong manufacturing base that has made Ohio the nation’s third leading state in producing energy efficiency equipment and the top state in wind-related manufacturing facilities, will be forced to relocate elsewhere.

“A truly ‘balanced’ approach would have been to keep existing efficiency and clean-energy standards in place while they are being reviewed.  Instead, legislators and utility monopolies have gutted those standards and created a study committee with a predetermined outcome rather than a fair and honest review.

Ohioans deserve to continue enjoying the many benefits of new, clean energy technologies, reasonable electricity rates, and a healthy environment. If signed into law, SB 310 will undermine the huge economic, health and environmental strides the state has already made.”

• Cheryl Roberto, Associate Vice President, Clean Energy at Environmental Defense Fund

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Keith Gaby, 202-572-3336, kgaby@edf.org

A new report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce misuses data to imply that the cost of new carbon pollution standards will be far higher than neutral analysis or history shows is likely. The claims are in keeping with an extensive record of exaggerated statements about new clean air rules.

“It is disappointing to see the Chamber add to the long and unfortunate history of dire but groundless predictions from groups trying to stop EPA from protecting the public health,” said Elgie Holstein of Environmental Defense Fund. “Every time EPA takes a step to clean the air, opponents say the sky will fall. We need a calm discussion of the facts, not more distortions.”

EPA noted that the cost numbers in the Chamber of Commerce report are not only driven by made-up assumptions about what EPA’s standards might look like — assumptions that are clearly false — they also ignore the very real costs that climate change is imposing on American communities today.

There are currently no national limits at all on carbon pollution from power plants, Holstein noted. 

“These claims are part of a well-orchestrated attempt to maintain the status quo of unlimited carbon pollution from power plants,” he said. “The status quo is unacceptable. We need the carbon pollution standards. They will help keep our families and communities safer, and help create thousands of new jobs.”

Just last week, fact checkers criticized a coal industry group for spreading blatant falsehoods about the rules. The National Mining Association’s unfounded claim that the rules would raise energy prices were met by a sharp rebuke — the Washington Post’s widely respected Fact Checker called it an “unsupported claim”, “bogus” and “hyped”.

Contrary to the Chamber’s claim, independent analysis of a system of carbon standards similar to those in the report suggests a substantial net benefit to society.

A study conducted by economists Dallas Burtraw (Resources for the Future) and Matt Woerman (University of California), for instance, concludes benefits will likely outweigh costs by more than 3 to 1. That is in line with many prior analyses of Clean Air Act rules that find benefits dwarfing costs by 10 to 1 and more.

Historically, industry costs estimates for new environmental rules have often been exaggerated by 500% to 1000%. See our blog for more details.

The same was true of the recently enact limits on toxic mercury pollution.

Here’s just one example:

• In 2011, FirstEnergy told its shareholders that it expected the cost of complying with the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards to be “$2 billion to $3 billion.”
• By 2013, FirstEnergy admitted to shareholders that its cost turned out to be “$465 million across the entire generation fleet.”

(Read more about the steep drop in costs reported by FirstEnergy and other major power companies here)

Attempts to spread misinformation about climate change and the supposed cost of action date back decades:

July 8, 1991, The New York Times: Pro-Coal Ad Disputes Warming Idea

“The goal of the [coal industry] campaign, according to one planning document, is to ‘reposition global warming as theory’ and not fact.”

April 26, 1998, New York Times: Industrial Group Plans to Battle Climate Treaty

“Industry opponents of [the Kyoto] treaty to fight global warming have drafted an ambitious proposal to spend millions of dollars to convince the public that the environmental accord is based on shaky science.”

July 13, 2011, The Center for American Progress: New Report Falsely Claims Cutting Tax Loopholes for Big Oil Worsens the Federal Budget Deficit

“The bottom line: Unbiased revenue estimators at four government agencies all drew the same conclusion—eliminating these two tax breaks for big oil companies would generate billions of dollars in revenue for the federal government.”

May 23, 2014 The Washington Post: A Bogus Claim that Electricity Prices will ‘Nearly Double’ Because of Clean Coal Technology

“There’s little justification for this radio ad to claim that people will see their electric bills nearly double because of the EPA rules on new coal plants.”

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Megan Ceronsky, 303-447-7224, mceronsky@edf.org
Sharyn Stein, 202-572-3396, sstein@edf.org 

On Monday, June 2, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to propose the first-ever national Carbon Pollution Standards for future and existing power plants, under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act. 

The Carbon Pollution Standards will take the form of emission guidelines that, once finalized, will establish quantitative environmental performance benchmarks for states to meet in implementing performance standards to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants — the largest source of carbon pollution in the country. 

The following summary briefly explains how this dynamic federal-state collaboration works. 

Step 1: EPA identifies the “best system of emission reduction” to address carbon pollution from existing power plants — taking into account the emission reductions that can be achieved, cost, energy requirements, and impacts on other health and environmental outcomes. EPA then identifies the emission reductions achievable if this “best system” is deployed. EPA assembles this information in standards, called “emission guidelines,” that are subject to public notice and comment. 

Step 2: States craft plans to implement and enforce standards of performance for existing power plants located within their borders. States have considerable flexibility to tailor these plans to the characteristics and needs of their state — they do not need to use the “best system of emission reduction” identified by EPA, provided they achieve equivalent reductions in pollution. States have extensive experience developing similar implementation plans to meet national standards for ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, lead, fluoride, sulfuric acid mist, and sulfur under Clean Air Act sections 110 and 111. States submit these plans to EPA for review. Consistent with the timetables long governing the administration of this Clean Air Act program and President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, the state plans will be due June 30, 2016. 

Step 3: EPA reviews each state plan to evaluate whether it is “equivalent” to the emission guidelines, achieving at least equivalent emission reductions to those achievable using the “best system of emission reduction” and meets other criteria, including for enforceability. 

Here’s a graphic with more information about the timeline: