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Dear Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Murkowski:
During promulgation of the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPAs) Mercury and Air Toxic Standards (MATS) rule, our unions consistently raised concerns regarding the short timeframe available for compliance and the devastating effects on jobs, especially good-paying middle-class employment in the coal-fired electricity generation sector. During the rulemaking process our unions stated for the record that MATS and its short compliance timeline would result in the closing of 56 Gigawatts of coal-fired generation and the loss of approximately 250,000 jobs. Despite assurances by EPA to the contrary, our prediction is now coming to pass.
As the deadline for compliance with MATS approaches, we are increasingly concerned with the effect of a short compliance timeline as hundreds of coal generating units retire and are permanently removed from service. Our concerns are compounded by the reduction in utility revenues from existing generation, increased reliance on demand response, and from unregulated distributed generation. These reduced revenues may increase the number of coal and possibly nuclear plant retirements as available income will not justify maintaining and/or retrofitting the remaining plants. Needless to say, the more plants that retire, the more jobs will be lost. In addition, as these plants retire, sufficient generation assets to meet demand become questionable, as witnessed by the astronomical electric price spikes during the recent polar vortex.
With these concerns in mind, we respectfully request the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to hold a hearing on the effects of MATS on the regional transmission organization (RTO) markets and their preparedness for generation retirements in the 2015-2017 timeframe. A hearing would be timely and beneficial. Please contact Jim Hunter at (202) 728-6065 or via email at [email protected] if you or your staff would like to discuss these matters further. Thank you for considering our request and we hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Newton B. Jones
International President
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers
Edwin D. Hill
International President
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Robert A. Scardelletti
International President
Transportation Communications Union/IAM
John Previsich
President
SMART Transportation Division
Cecil E. Roberts, Jr.
International President
United Mine Workers of America
D. Michael Langford
Utility Workers Union of America
Based on the data coming out China...Coal is probably the main cause of Cancer. Do you realize that cancer is the single deadliest disease we Americans deal with?
Yes sir, Let's ban coal.
Sure...so, do you prefer nuclear power, or would you rather live with no electricity?
Lets invest into fusion.
Sure...so, do you prefer nuclear power, or would you rather live with no electricity?
Love you nuclear.
Based on the data coming out China...Coal is probably the main cause of Cancer. Do you realize that cancer is the single deadliest disease we Americans deal with?
Yes sir, Let's ban coal.
Based on the data coming out China...Coal is probably the main cause of Cancer. Do you realize that cancer is the single deadliest disease we Americans deal with?
Yes sir, Let's ban coal.
The U.S. and China have roughly the same number of coal-fired power plants.
Have you ever wondered why our air is so much cleaner than China's?
Based on the data coming out China...Coal is probably the main cause of Cancer. Do you realize that cancer is the single deadliest disease we Americans deal with?
Yes sir, Let's ban coal.
The U.S. and China have roughly the same number of coal-fired power plants.
Have you ever wondered why our air is so much cleaner than China's?
Regulations
Based on the data coming out China...Coal is probably the main cause of Cancer. Do you realize that cancer is the single deadliest disease we Americans deal with?
Yes sir, Let's ban coal.
Sure...so, do you prefer nuclear power, or would you rather live with no electricity?
Love you nuclear.
Nuclear is off limits. The environmentalists closed that industry down in the Carter administration. It is a good idea, though.
Love you nuclear.
Nuclear is off limits. The environmentalists closed that industry down in the Carter administration. It is a good idea, though.
Guess again a new nuke plant is being built in south Carolina
About time
Charcoal can be made from hemp stalks. Charcoal can be burned to produce electricity. The hemp that is growing for the next batch is taking in the pollution put out by burning hemp-based charcoal.
Cannabis can also produce transportation fuel in every state, limiting foreign petroleum imports and negating the need for international pipelines. And again, the hemp that is growing for the next batch is taking in the pollution caused by burning the fuel.
No more coal, no more deep-sea drilling spewing sludge into our oceans, no more nuclear disasters, no more Keystone XL tar sands poison, but we will have thousands of jobs across America, we will have renewable energy, we will have a reduction of pollution, etc. etc., just from legalizing Cannabis Sativa again.
And marijuana may cure cancer caused by industrial pollution.
Know it'll suck for the miner community, their families, and their communities, but the sooner we make coal unprofitable and more trouble than its worth, the better off everyone else will be.
