Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 29 november 2017

EPA hears worries about climate in heart of coal country

By JOHN RABY and MI- cleaner burning natural Pruitt has also sought to
CHAEL BIESECKER gas, not government regu- cast doubt on the consen-
Associated Press lations. sus of climate scientists that
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) American Petroleum Insti- the continued burning of
— After more than four tute consultant Jack Har- fossil fuels is the main driver
decades as a coal miner, rison told EPA that any re- of global warming. Scien-
Stanley Sturgill ambled into placement of the Clean tists say climate change
an ornate room at West Power Plan “should con- has already triggered ris-
Virginia’s state capitol template states relying ing seas and more extreme
Tuesday to deliver a stark on natural gas” and new weather, including killer
message to the Trump technologies that reduce heat waves, worsened
administration: Climate emissions. droughts and torrential
change is real and con- Under the Obama admin- rains.
tinuing to burn the dirty fos- istration, EPA held four mul- Pruitt did not attend Tues-
sil fuel hurts future genera- tiday public hearings — in day’s public hearing, which
tions. Washington, Atlanta, Pitts- was presided over by EPA
He was among dozens who Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 administrator Cosmo burgh and Denver — to employees. But even with
had their say at a public Servidio, center, and EPA officials Reed Harvey, left, and Donna collect feedback before the hearing being held in
hearing over the intended Mastro listen to speakers during an EPA public hearing, Tuesday, issuing the Clean Power the heart of coal country,
repeal of an Obama-era Nov. 28, 2017, at the state Capitol in Charleston, W.Va. Plan in 2015. About two most speakers said they
plan to limit planet-warm- Associated Press dozen conservative-lean- supported limits on carbon
ing carbon emissions. The still love living.” chief executive Murray ing states and a battery of emissions.The Sierra Club’s
Environmental Protection “Now to be realistic, do Energy Corp. He derided fossil-fuel companies im- climate-policy director, Liz
Agency was holding the I really think that the ad- the Obama plan as an il- mediately sued, prevent- Perera, told them that the
only scheduled hearing ministration cares what legal power grab that has ing the carbon reduction proposed repeal ignores
on the policy reversal in this old worn coal miner cost coal miners their jobs. plan from taking effect be- scientific reality.
Charleston, capital of a has to say?” asked Sturgill, About two dozen of Mur- fore the election of Presi- “This is about the kind of
state heavily dependent 72, who conceded that ray’s employees sat in the dent Donald Trump, who world that we want to
on coal mining. The hear- his pro-environment views audience, while still more as a candidate pledged leave for our children,” she
ing was expected to last were not popular in his miners attended pro-coal to repeal it.To head EPA, said.Environmental activ-
two days.There were warn- hometown. “I don’t know. rallies outside the Capitol. Trump appointed Scott ist Vicki Mattson of Ath-
ings from the other side, I really doubt it. But I had “The Clean Power Plan Pruitt, a former Oklahoma ens, Ohio, said her home
too — that the regulations to be here, and as long as I would devastate coal- attorney general who was county has four solar pow-
threaten to choke off liveli- can draw a breath, I’m go- fired electricity generation among those who fought er installation companies.
hoods in coal country and ing to keep working to fight in America,” said Murray, the Clean Power Plan in Clean energy will create
drive up people’s energy climate change and pro- whose company employs court. Pruitt has made it well-paying new jobs, she
costs. But despite the lo- tect the land and country 5,200 miners and has 14 ac- a priority to delay and re- said.“We all need to look
cale of the hearing, those I love.”The Clean Power tive coal mines. “This would verse recent environmen- at solar and wind,” Matt-
concerned about climate Plan sought to reduce use impose massive costs on tal regulations hurting the son said. “Clean power is
change packed the hear- of the dirtiest fossil fuel but the power sector and on profits of coal and petro- the future. We can join the
ing room.Sturgill, who said never took effect because American consumers.” chemical companies. rest of the world or be left
he suffers from black lung of lawsuits filed by coal West Virginia has been es- Though Trump, Pruitt and behind.”Sturgill, the retired
disease, wanted the Clean companies and conserva- pecially hit hard by the others have blamed en- miner, said the EPA under
Power Plan upheld for his tive-leaning states. Coal- decades of decline in the vironmental regulations the Trump administration
three grandchildren and fired power plants are a coal industry, losing thou- for the loss of coal-mining was protecting fossil-fuel
three great-grandchildren. major source of the carbon sands of jobs. However, jobs, the accelerating industry profits at the ex-
He and his wife drove sev- emissions driving climate energy market analysts say shift of electric utilities us- pense of the environment
eral hours from Lynch, Ken- change. the downturn in coal prices ing cheaper and cleaner- and the health of Ameri-
tucky, to speak because Among those testifying has been largely driven by burning natural gas is a pri- cans who have to breathe
“we may be old, but we Tuesday was Bob Murray, competition from cheaper, mary culprit. polluted air.q