The Macon Telegraph published Benita Dodd’s response to their op-ed on carbon emissions and the EPA.
A misguided EPA
EPA’s Clean Power Plan is a misguided effort that will clean out Americans’ wallets and expand control over industry without doing anything to “protect the health of millions.” Even EPA admits that indoor air quality is far more dangerous than outdoor air quality. Its own records show that America’s air quality is better than ever. And even the EPA admits it has no reason to believe that its proposal will make any difference to this nation’s air quality.
According to the EPA administrator, it’s “part of an overall strategy that is positioning the U.S. for leadership in an international discussion.” Meanwhile, businesses, industry and utilities are justifiably alarmed, pointing out the increased cost of doing business. That harms consumers, taxpayers and our economic competitiveness. The economic impact of shutting down Plant Scherer, for example, and losing its 400 permanent positions would be enormous in the Bibb County region.
Meanwhile, other developing nations use fossil fuels with far less global environmental responsibility. America should be taking the lead, exploring and utilizing domestic natural resources responsibly. If Jalal Zuberi and Anne Mellinger-Birdsong were truly concerned about the health of Americans and America’s most vulnerable — children, communities of color, older adults and people with respiratory diseases — they would call for government to quit its unjustifiable regulatory overreach. That way, more of families’ hard-earned dollars would stay in their control, enabling them to lift themselves out of unhealthy environments and improve their quality of life.
— Benita Dodd
Vice president, Georgia Public Policy Foundation
Access the letter online here: http://bit.ly/1zNRVjV
Access the op-ed here: www.macon.com/2014/07/06/3185438/opinion-epas-clean-power-plan.html