Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit today heard oral arguments in the case of West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency, in which 27 states, along with several fossil fuel companies and power producers, have sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, in an effort to block the Clean Power Plan.
In response, Greg Dotson, Vice President of Energy Policy at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, issued the following statement:
Today, the D.C. Circuit heard two sides of the story: the people versus the polluters. On one side, the EPA is upholding its congressional mandate to protect the public’s health from the dangerous effects of carbon pollution. On the other side, 27 state attorneys general have joined with the fossil fuel industry in an effort to block action on climate change.
Let’s not lose sight of what’s at stake in this litigation. Blocking climate action might be good for the profits of the fossil fuel industry, but it would be terrible for public health. The power producers affiliated with the lawsuit pumped out more than 1.2 billion tons of carbon pollution in 2014. When the Clean Power Plan is upheld, they will be required to reduce this pollution. No wonder the dirty energy industry has contributed more than $24 million in campaign contributions to state officials affiliated with this lawsuit.
For more information or to speak to an expert, please contact Jillian Murphy at [email protected] or 404.291.0205.
Related resources: