Current:Home > Contact236 Mayors Urge EPA Not to Repeal U.S. Clean Power Plan -FundWay
236 Mayors Urge EPA Not to Repeal U.S. Clean Power Plan
View
Date:2025-04-16 21:17:00
Stay informed about the latest climate, energy and environmental justice news. Sign up for the ICN newsletter.
Hundreds of U.S. mayors, representing one in seven Americans, have told EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt that they need the Clean Power Plan’s emissions rules in order to fight climate change and protect their cities.
In a letter released on Tuesday, 236 mayors from 47 states urged Pruitt not to repeal the plan, which was a centerpiece of President Obama’s effort to tackle climate change by cracking down on emissions from electric power plants. The rule has been in limbo during litigation, and President Trump wants it revoked, as Pruitt has proposed to do.
“We strongly oppose the repeal of the Clean Power Plan, which would put our citizens at risk and undermine our efforts to prepare for and protect against the worst impacts of climate change,” the mayors wrote.
The group included the mayors of cities like Orlando, Houston and New Orleans that have suffered the ravages of storms and floods linked to a warming climate. It also included the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, who was hosting Pruitt’s latest hearing on the rules Wednesday.
On Twitter, Kansas City Mayor Sly James said the Clean Power Plan “benefits communities across the country.”
The rules, which were imposed in 2015, aimed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 32 percent by 2030. Pruitt, who had fought the proposal in court for years, began working to overturn it shortly after being confirmed as EPA administrator. The EPA is collecting public comment until April 26 about how and whether to replace the regulations.
In the letter, the mayors cited an EPA study that said tens of thousands of additional deaths could occur in the United States if global warming is not held to 2 degrees Celsius, the international climate goal that the Clean Power Plan is meant to help achieve.
They warned of high costs to cities unless climate change is reined in.
“On our current path, the annual cost of coastal storm damage is expected to climb as high as $35 billion by the 2030s; coastal property valued at $66 to $106 billion will likely be underwater by 2050,” the mayors wrote.
Any delay would be costly.
A study released Tuesday found that every five-year delay in reaching peak greenhouse gas emissions would lock in an additional 8 inches of sea level rise by the year 2300.
“Man-made climate change has already pre-programmed a certain amount of sea-level rise for the coming centuries,” said the study’s lead author, Matthias Mengel of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. “For some, it might seem that our present actions might not make such a big difference—but our study illustrates how wrong this perception is.”
A study released earlier this month had similarly dire warnings about sea level rise, showing with satellite data how sea level rise is accelerating. It found that by the end of the current century, coastal communities could see an additional four inches of sea level rise each decade.
Across the country, states and cities have taken action to combat climate change, either through adaptation measures, or by filing lawsuits—as in coastal California and New York City—that aim to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for climate change impacts.
But the mayors say they can only do so much.
“The legal authority of cities and other municipalities generally extends only as far as their state governments and federal law allow, and as a result, our local efforts to address climate change are highly sensitive to national policies like the Clean Power Plan, which shape markets, steer state action, and have large direct impacts on nationwide emissions,” the mayors wrote.
veryGood! (3395)
Related
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- 'Cuckoo': How Audrey Hepburn inspired the year's creepiest movie monster
- Multiple parties file legal oppositions to NCAA revenue settlement case
- Travel Like a Celeb With This Top Packing Hack Used by Kyle Richards, Alix Earle, Paige Desorbo & More
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- She's a Democrat. He's a Republican. Can love conquer all?
- Quantum Ledger Trading Center: Redefining Cryptocurrency Trading Excellence
- Quantum Ledger Trading Center: Bull Market Launch – Seize the Golden Era of Cryptocurrencies
- McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
- How big do miniature pigs get? 'Teacup' variety may get larger than owners bargain for
Ranking
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- Why the fastest-growing place for young kids in the US is in the metro with the oldest residents
- 2 Astronauts Stuck in Space Indefinitely After 8-Day Mission Goes Awry
- Colorado funeral home owners accused of mishandling 190 bodies ordered to pay $950M
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- Lawsuit accusing T.I., Tiny Harris of assault dismissed by judge
- Horoscopes Today, August 8, 2024
- More cases, additional death reported in nationwide Boar's Head deli meat listeria outbreak
Recommendation
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
USA's Sunny Choi, Logan Edra knocked out in round robin stage of Olympic breaking
Considering a mortgage refi? Lower rates are just one factor when refinancing a home loan
Best Back-to-School Deals Under $50 at Nordstrom Rack: Save Up to 81% on Fjällräven Kånken, Reebok & More
What to watch: O Jolie night
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continues political attack against Harris VP candidate Tim Walz
BMW recalls more than 100,000 cars due to overheating motor: See full list
Ex-Arizona county treasurer embezzled $39M for over a decade, lawsuit says