EPA Hears Testimony on New Carbon Pollution Rule

The Environmental Protection Agency is in the midst of day-long hearings in Washington, D.C. and Chicago on proposed new standards from carbon pollution from power plants.The speaking lists for bothhearings were already near full before they began. The slots were first come, first served, and environmental groups snagged many of them. Representatives from the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council, as well as local environmental groups are scheduled to speak at both events. But the industries are represented too, with speakers from the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Mining Association and various trade groups.The EPA’sproposed rulewould only apply to new power plants, and would limit these plants to 1,000 pounds of carbon pollution per megawatt hour.Under the rule, coal-fired power plants can still be built. But because of the new limits on carbon dioxide, any company interested in building a coal-fired power plant would be required to install advanced carbon control technologies, like carbon capture and sequestration.The EPA is also accepting written comments on the proposaluntil June 25.