The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a nonpartisan organization of state legislators, released a game plan Tuesday to fight against Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.
According to a press release, the plan, titled “EPA’s Regulatory Train Wreck: Strategies for State Legislatures,” is designed to “sort through this web of bureaucratic regulations and develop legislative strategies to slow and stop the agency’s onslaught.”
ALEC calls on Congress to prohibit the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions, put in place a moratorium on new air quality regulations and require a multiagency study on the economic impacts of the EPA regulations.
It also outlines the costs for businesses and consumers that would go along with compliance with the EPA regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. One area the plan targets is the EPA’s negative campaign toward the use of fossil fuels.
According to Clint Woods, ALEC’s Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force director, even a few of the rules targeting the use of fossil fuels would cost hundreds of billions of dollars, “force the retirement of up to one-third of coal-fired plants,” and raise electricity costs.
“As Congress rightfully reviews EPA’s proposals and activities, now is a critical time for state legislators to voice their opinion on this regulatory barrage trampling state sovereignty,” said Woods. “EPA’s overzealous goals will damage American competitiveness and economic recovery.”
The plan comes on the heels of a slew of recently introduced legislation on Capitol Hill aimed at blocking the EPA regulations. One plan, introduced by Sen. James Inhofe, ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and Rep. Fred Upton, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee would prevent the EPA from regulating climate change.
Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming introduced a broader bill that would stop all federal agencies from regulating greenhouse gases without direct authorization from Congress. And Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia introduced legislation that would delay implementation of the regulations for two years.