Urges Conway to Join Him in Standing Up for Kentucky’s Working Families
FRANKFORT – Lt. Governor and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Daniel Mongiardo today strongly denounced as an “attack on Kentucky’s economy and coal industry” the Federal Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement that it would begin drafting regulations to selectively limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emission without waiting for Congressional action.
Mongiardo said, “While the EPA may have the legal authority to regulate greenhouse gas emission, its decision to move forward unilaterally without Congressional action risks endangering Kentucky’s weak economy, without realizing any significant environmental benefits. It defies common sense. The EPA’s decision to selectively regulate gas emissions only at power plants, refineries and large, energy-intensive industries will fall hardest on states like Kentucky. If this ill-conceived plan is allowed to go forward, it will cost Kentucky more jobs and increase electric rates significantly more for Kentucky consumers and damage Kentucky’s economy more relative to other states.”
Mongiardo challenged his Democratic Primary opponent, Attorney General Jack Conway, to join him in denouncing the EPA’s decision to develop and selectively enforce regulations governing GHG emissions, “I am calling on Jack Conway to join me in taking a clear and decisive stand for Kentucky’s working families, condemn this Administration’s decision and urge Congress to take the necessary action to stop it. Our families and our state’s economy are hanging by a thread. Now is not the time for expressing ‘strong concerns’ or 'serious reservations.' Now is the time for standing up and being counted. Will Jack Conway stand up for Kentucky’s working families and be counted?” Mongiardo asked.
Mongiardo jumped on EPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s statement that her decision to selectively enforce greenhouse gas emissions regulations on some industries were reasonable, common-sense steps that would improve the environment “without placing an undue burden on the businesses that make up the better part of our economy.”
Mongiardo said, “Either Ms. Jackson has anointed herself as the sole arbiter of deciding what is a ‘good’ business and what is a ‘bad’ business or she is saying that she and EPA regulators under her direction – will decide which businesses, which states’ economies and which states’ consumers will bear the greater share of the costs for complying. Either way, the audacity of such a statement is absolutely outrageous. No bureaucrat should ever wield such unchecked power – to decide who will be ‘winners’ and who will be the ‘losers.’ Mongiardo added, “The fact is selectively imposing new emission regulations on some greenhouse gas emitters, but not all is blatantly unfair and should be unlawful. By the agency’s own admission, refineries, power plants and large, energy-intensive industries account for only half of all GHG emissions. Why is Ms. Jackson not applying the same rules and regulations to the other half? Is it because doing so would be politically untenable? Congress must assert itself and either change the law or withhold funding if the EPA insists on pursuing this ill-conceived path.”