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AG Kilmartin Joins Coalition in Support of Federal Effort to Protect the Environment by Restricting Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Power Plants

AG Kilmartin Supports 2010 settlement with EPA that requires the Agency to address power plant emissions that contribute to climate change

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin has joined attorneys general from 10 other states and two cities in a motion filed yesterday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to support the federal government's efforts to set greenhouse gas emissions standards for fossil-fuel power plants.

In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency settled a lawsuit filed by Rhode Island and other states over its refusal to regulate greenhouse gasses emitted by power plants. The settlement required the EPA to restrict the amount of greenhouse gasses that new and existing power plants could emit, but states from coal-producing regions have since filed a court challenge to that agreement.

The motion that Kilmartin and the coalition of Attorneys General filed asks that they be allowed to intervene in support of the EPA in the challenge filed by states from coal-producing regions. Power plants fueled by coal, oil and natural gas are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions that pollute the air and damage the environment by contributing to climate change.

"The Courts have found that Rhode Island and other Eastern states are negatively impacted by the downwind greenhouse gas emissions created by power plants fueled by coal, oil and natural gas. We need to continue to pressure the EPA to ensure these polluters abide with federal regulations and protect our air quality," said Attorney General Kilmartin.

The coalition of Attorneys General supporting the EPA was led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and includes, in addition to Attorney General Kilmartin, the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware Maine, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, and the City of New York.

The EPA has already begun the process of drafting the emissions rules called for in the 2010 settlement with Rhode Island and other states. In January, the EPA released proposed rules to limit greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants, and in June released rules to limit emissions from existing plants. According to EPA estimates, limiting the emissions of harmful greenhouse gases will generate between $55 billion to $93 billion in public health and climate benefits would result from implementing the power plant rules by 2030.

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