WASHINGTON-- Indiana can’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its power plants as much or as quickly as the federal government wants, state leaders told the federal government this week.
“The proposed rules are ill-conceived and poorly constructed,” Gov. Mike Pence said in a letter accompanying the state’s official comments about an Environmental Protection Agency plan that he has said would be devastating to Indiana. “There is too much pain for very little gain.”
Some other Hoosiers who met Monday’s deadline for commenting on the first draft of the proposal praised it, saying Indiana won’t clean up unless it’s forced to.
“I am from the coal-dependent state of Indiana and I understand that limiting carbon pollution might cause higher energy costs,” wrote Nancy Papas of Indianapolis. “I’m retired and while higher costs are a concern for me, the costs of lung disease and lost crops and food supply due to pollution and climate change are even higher. Limiting pollution is a net cost savings as well as a life-saver.”
The proposal, which could be a legacy issue for the Obama administration unless Republicans are able to block it, is intended to reduce nationwide carbon dioxide emissions from power plants 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. That’s the equivalent of taking two-thirds of the nation’s cars and trucks off the road, according to the EPA.
The United Nations’ leading panel on climate change warned this fall that the world is at a tipping point and must start reducing greenhouse gases to avoid irreversible changes to the ecosystem.
Indiana’s power plants produce more carbon dioxide than plants in all but three other states.