The following statement was released today by National Mining Association (NMA) President and CEO Hal Quinn in support of 221 members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have appealed to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to stop the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) greenhouse gas rulemaking for electric utilities:
“A majority of House members from all regions of the country and both political parties today voiced concerns shared by millions of Americans about jobs, the economy and the cost of electricity should the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) greenhouse gas New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) for electric utilities move forward. NMA joins 221 members of the House in asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to stop these backdoor cap and tax regulations before they inflict the ‘devastating impact’ foretold by a strong bi-partisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“America has benefitted from abundant, affordable coal-based electricity generation. Unlike transportation fuels, which are at the mercy of foreign suppliers and uncertain politics, the nation’s electricity supply line has not suffered the volatility and uncertainty of our gas lines because of coal’s predominance in the electricity marketplace.
“EPA is now on the threshold of casting those benefits aside with an unprecedented line-up of regulations that will imperil the reliability and affordability that coal has contributed to the nation’s well-being. NMA joins with the House in asking OMB to stop this latest EPA proposal.”