Despite Court Ruling, EPA Rulemaking Process Still Broken

Statement

Congressman Tom Marino (PA-10) issued the following statement after closely examining the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling against the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) which imposed strict emission standards on power plants across the United States:

"Although the initial announcement of this ruling prompted several celebratory responses from my colleagues, I wanted to study the court's decision further to gauge whether it was a true victory for the American consumer. In the end, this ruling provides a welcome rebuke of an out of control EPA. But it is only superficial progress because the EPA's Mercury Air Toxics Standards rule will remain in place; for now.

The ultimate fate of this rule remains unclear but it is inarguably burdensome and costly to energy companies throughout Pennsylvania. The EPA itself admitted that MATS would impose nearly $10 billion in regulatory compliance costs each year on power plants across the country. Those costs are passed along to consumers, who despite contradictory claims from this administration, are still struggling to make ends meet.

While I support an "any and all' approach to our nation's energy production, I am tired of the relentless assault on the coal industry that remains, despite attacks, to be a significant part of our local economies.

I acknowledge this is an important court ruling in favor of checking a totally out-of-control EPA. It also signals to electric utilities and the coal industry in Pennsylvania that some regulatory relief may be in their future. We must use this decision as a launching point to restore balance and refocus our efforts on creating jobs within the energy sector without unnecessary and self-imposed regulations. That is where my focus will remain - in reforming our dysfunctional regulatory framework."

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