The EPA’s proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan (CPP) will get three public hearings in the months ahead, as the agency continues its effort to dismantle President Obama’s initiative to reduce emissions from power plants in order to combat climate change.
The “public listening sessions” will be held on:
- February 21, 2018 – Kansas City, MO
- February 28, 2018 – San Francisco, CA
- March 27, 2018 – Gillette, WY
“In response to significant interest surrounding the proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan and the success of the West Virginia hearing, we will now hold listening sessions across the country to ensure all stakeholders have an opportunity to provide input,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.
The CPP, which called for power plants to reduce emissions 32 percent to below 2005 levels by 2030, was finalized in 2015, but its implementation has been stalled by legal challenges mounted by energy-producing states.
Reuters reported that at that November hearing in Charleston, West Virginia – the heart of coal country – the EPA’s bid to repeal the act got mixed reviews, with industry officials citing the plan’s cost and potential loss of jobs, and health officials citing the repeal’s cost to public health.
Registration information and more details will be posted at: https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/electric-utility-generating-units-repealing-clean-power-plan. Pre-registration to provide an oral presentation will begin when the notice is published in the Federal Register and close one week prior to each session.
With the publication of an upcoming Federal Register notice, EPA will re-open the public comment period for the proposed repeal through April 26, 2018 and provide further details on the listening sessions. Written statements and supporting information submitted while the public comment period is open will be considered with the same weight as any oral comments and supporting information presented at the listening sessions. Comments should be identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0355 and may be submitted by one of the methods listed on the Clean Power Plan Proposed Repeal: How to Comment web page.
