Senator McConnell Calls on EPA to Allow More Time for Kentuckians to Voice Their Concerns on Proposed Anti-Coal Rule

Press Release

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and a bipartisan group of 52 Senators called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide a 60-day extension for its proposed regulations targeting Kentucky coal jobs and miners -- thus allowing more time for Kentuckians and those in coal states to voice their concerns on EPA's proposed anti-coal rule.

In a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, the senators wrote "the proposed rule imposes a heavy burden on the states during the rulemaking process. If the states want to adjust their statewide emission rate target assigned to them by EPA, they must provide their supporting documentation for the adjustment during the comment period.The EPA proposal provides no mechanism for adjusting the state emission rate targets once they are adopted… So the states need enough time to digest the rule, fully understand it, and then collect the data and justification on why their specific target may need to be adjusted… This cannot be adequately accomplished in only 120 days."

They added that the "extension is critical to ensure that state regulatory agencies and other stakeholders have adequate time to fully analyze and comment on the proposal… [which] regulates or affects the generation, transmission, and use of electricity in every corner of this country."

"In an ideal world, we would not be sending this letter to EPA because the agency would have withdrawn this terrible proposed regulation after hearing from those it negatively impacted," Senator McConnell said. "Since the EPA refuses to hold a hearing in Kentucky on this proposed regulation, coupled with the fact that Majority Leader Harry Reid refuses to take up my Saving Coal Jobs Act which would afford the Senate a vote on this proposal on behalf of those in Coal Country, Kentuckians deserve a chance to be adequately heard. This will allow them more time to accurately assess the damages of what such a terrible, unprecedented rule will cause our state, particularly to Kentucky's coal jobs and our miners and their families."

Bill Bissett, President of the Kentucky Coal Association, thanked McConnell for his actions. "We need to recognize Senator McConnell for once again standing up for Kentucky coal and our mining families," said Bissett. "Since the Obama Administration and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have once again failed to listen to Kentuckians on this proposed regulation, we need to do everything we can to ensure that our voices are adequately heard."

The letter was led by Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND).

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