Maine Groups Applaud President and EPA for Turning Words Into Action
Maine – Today, a coalition of Maine environmental groups applauded the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) newly proposed carbon pollution standards for new power plants. The proposed standards are a cornerstone of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan and come as Mainers begin to feel the early effects of global warming, including lobstermen seeing troubling changes to lobster fisheries, many more getting sick with Lyme Disease, fishermen seeing harmful warming in our trout streams, and people across the state dealing with costly increases in heavy storms and flooding.
“Power plants are the elephant in the room when it comes to global warming. Today’s announcement gives me real hope that President Obama is serious about tackling this global warming and building a clean energy future,” said Environment Maine Director Emily Figdor.
The standards announced today are the first federal standards ever to limit carbon pollution from power plants that are built in the future. Power plants are the largest source of carbon pollution in the nation.
“This is good news for Maine because we limit climate pollution from power plants through RGGI, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative,” said Figdor. “Now it is time for national standards so the rest of the country will clean up dirty power plants as well.”
“We already have safeguards to protect people from mercury, soot and other dangerous pollution from power plants, but there have been no federal limits on the carbon pollution that is responsible for climate change, said Lisa Pohlmann, Executive Director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “That’s just wrong.”
“We applaud the President for setting this historic health and clean air standard, and encourage the administration to move forward with strong carbon pollution rules for existing power plants too,” said Glen Brand, Sierra Club Maine Chapter Director.
Earlier this week, Maine Senator Angus King gave a major speech on the Senate floor about the pressing need for action on climate change. During debate about an energy efficiency bill, King said the time for delay and procrastination is over and that the scientific data clearly justifies action. He said “the President’s carbon plan is an important first step.”
“We thank and congratulate Senator King for his leadership in calling for action on climate changeânot in some future time, but now,” said Lisa Pohlmann. “The President and the EPA have laid out a clear course of action to reduce power plant carbon pollution. It is a plan that deserves the support of Maine’s entire delegation.”
