Rep. John Maher (R-Allegheny), Majority Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, Tuesday circulated a memo to all House members inviting them to co-sponsor a bill he plans to introduce creating a Pennsylvania Clean Power Plan.

The content of the legislation is expected to be announced later at a meeting of potential co-sponsors, according to the memo.

The text of the memo follows--

“The federal government announced this week that EPA's Clean Power Plan ("CPP"), which has been languishing in the courts for several years, will be set aside permanently.

“This news is unsurprising for a number of reasons; most particularly, recognition that bureaucrats drafted regulations well beyond the fence-line of law.

“Even so, many in Pennsylvania have invested considerable effort on advancing clean power concepts and, with the hope of capturing that energy, I will be proceeding with legislation for a Pennsylvania Clean Power Plan.

“Pennsylvania has been a world leader in reducing carbon emissions and I want our leadership to be sustainable!

“Should you wish to be among the pioneers for a Pennsylvania Clean Power Plan, please join as a cosponsor. Any questions, please contact Shelly Weaver at sweaver@pahousegop.com.  or call 717-783-1522.

“I expect to convene a meeting of expected cosponsors before actually introducing legislation so that you will not be signing a blank check by enlisting as a cosponsor now.”

Click Here for a copy of the memo.

In February, Rep. Maher was quoted in the Washington Observer-Reporter as saying this about EPA’s Clean Power Plan at a public meeting on the loss of coal mining jobs in Washington and Greene counties: “If Pennsylvania were a nation, we would be the only nation in the world that met the Kyoto Accord,” he said of an international treaty that set limits on greenhouse gas emissions that the U.S. government did not sign.

“Pennsylvania’s greenhouse gases have decreased by a third to 40 percent over the last 10 years. What has happened here in Pennsylvania has not happened anywhere else in the world, but never gets mentioned.

“If we really want to address global warming, if we really want to have cleaner air, when success happens, it needs to be noticed because otherwise, why go to the trouble? It was market forces that cleaned up Pennsylvania’s air. It was using natural gas instead of other fuels.”

Rep. Maher can be contacted by sending email to: jmaher@pahousegop.com.

NewsClips:

AP: EPA Chief Says Administration To Roll Back Clean Power Climate Plan

EPA To Begin Repealing Clean Power Climate Plan Tuesday

Legere: Market Forces Reducing PA Emissions, But Killing Climate Plan Will Reverse That

Allegheny Front: Revoking Clean Power Climate Plan Could Have Big PA Impact

Eliminating EPA Clean Power Climate Plan Relief For Valley Coal Business Leaders

Activists Vow Fighting In The Streets Over EPA’s Clean Power Climate Plan Repeal

Related Stories:

Clean Air Council: Trump’s Clean Power Climate Plan Repeal & Replace Can’t Stop Clean Energy In PA

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Calls Rollback Of EPA Clean Power Climate Plan Short-Sighted

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[Posted: Oct. 10, 2017]

10/16/2017