St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Plan for Missouri to implement federal emission regulations sent to Gov. Jay Nixon
By Marie French
JEFFERSON CITY • The Missouri House sent a measure allowing the state’s Department of Natural Resources to develop a plan to implement emission standards for coal-fired power plants to the governor.
Lawmakers said they were concerned about new guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that will limit carbon dioxide emissions and they said could shut down coal plants in Missouri. More than 80 percent of the electricity produced in the state comes from coal.
The bill directs the state’s Air Conservation Commission to develop standards based on a “unit-by-unit analysis” to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. This would mean each existing coal plant would be separately required to reduce carbon dioxide they produce.
The bill directs the state agency to take into account mitigating factors, such as a prohibitive cost, potential rate increases or job losses. The standards could be less stringent than federal requirements.
Bill sponsor Rep. Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, said the state should implement its own plan to comply with new regulations on carbon dioxide pollution rather than allowing the EPA to develop the plan.
“I think the state of Missouri and the Department of Natural Resources should be the ones to decide how to comply,” Richardson said. “It would be a travesty if we left a gap in the law to (allow the EPA to) force some of the coal-fired power plants to shut down.”
Last month, the United States Supreme Court upheld the EPA’s authority to impose regulations on smog from coal power plants that are blown eastward from Midwest states, including Missouri. In June, the EPA is expected to propose broad restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions, which scientists say is the primary cause of climate change.
Rep. Randy Dunn, D-Kansas City, said it was “disingenuous” for Richardson to claim the new rules would force power plants to shut down. He voted against the bill and said he was wary of restricting regulations that would protect the environment.
“It would give me great pause to put that into the hands of the state,” Dunn said. “We need to be very mindful and careful of restricting policies and regulations that impact our environment.”
The bill passed the House 129-14 and earlier passed the Senate 23-7.
(The bill is HB 1631.)
