Welch Statement On EPA Climate Change

Statement

Rep. Peter Welch made the following statement after the Obama administration announced a plan to reduce power plant emissions:

"Climate change is real and poses a serious threat to our economy, environment and public health. And Vermont is not immune from its effects. Just ask our farmers, sugar makers and ski area operators. They will tell you how climate change is already upon them. Across the country, severe weather events related to climate change, like Tropical Storm Irene, are becoming more commonplace.

"Every day we wait makes solving this problem much more difficult. The current Congress simply cannot find common ground on addressing this issue. Incredibly, the Republican-led House just passed an amendment banning the Pentagon from studying the impact of climate change on national security. So I am pleased that the President, in the face of climate change denial by Congress, has taken bold action today, using the executive authority available to him, to tackle one of the leading causes of climate change.

"EPA's plan is a flexible, common sense approach to reducing power plant emissions that allows states and utilities to tailor remedies to local and regional circumstances. I am particularly pleased that this plan promotes energy efficiency as a key remedy to carbon emissions. Vermont has led the nation on energy efficiency and is reaping the benefits of lower electric bills, good jobs, and a cleaner environment."

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