Beth Wallace 

Community Outreach Regional Coordinator 

National Wildlife Federation, Great Lakes Regional Center 

wallaceb(iilnwf.org 

734.887.7134 

2012 EPA Public Hearing on Proposed Carbon Pollution Standard for Future Power 

Plants. 

Good Morning and thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. My name 

is Beth Wallace. I am Community Outreach Regional Coordinator with the National 

Wildlife Federation and I work on conservation issues that impact our Great Lake 

states. I am also proud to say that I am new mom to a 5 month little boy named Regan. 

Being a mom is the best feeling in the world. 

However - as a new mom, I'm faced with so many new fears. I worry about pesticides 

on the fruit and vegetables we might eat. I worry about how clean the water we're 

drinking truly is and of course, one of my biggest fears (and something I have little 

control over) is ensuring the air that we breathe is safe. 

I also worry about the future of our resources and wildlife and how Regan will 

experience the great outdoors as he grows up. I fear that if we keep on this path, he 

might not be able to spend summers along our Great Lakes due to the beaches closings 

or he won't be able to take a weekend fishing trip with his dad, where he can actually 

enjoy eating the catch? 

Ltl<;<nllro ll"d carho_IlJl<>lllli ion that causes climate change, toxic mercury emissions, 

and numerous other air toxins still pose a serious threat to people and wildlife. 

Power plants are the nation's single largest source of climate change-causing air 

pollution, pumping roughly 2.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year. 

Currently, there are no limits on the amount of carbon pollution that can be released 

from power plant smokestacks and this air pollution results in higher average 

temperatures, extreme weather, and serious impacts on public health and wildlife. 

Scientist predict that if the temperatures increase as much as forecast, we could lose 

as many as 40 percent of the species on the planet. But the fact is fish and wildlife are 

already being affected by the small increase in temperature we've already had. 

Safeguarding our natural resources is important to those of us who want our children 

to grow up being able to fish and spend time outdoors, but it is also a wise investment 

in our economic future. Reducing industrial carbon pollution will help protect our 

long standing investment in our outdoor heritage. Michigan's wildlife and natural 

resources are the backbone of our $5 billion recreational tourism economy. The Great 

Lakes are a national treasure. 
It is misleading to say that enforcement of our nation's environmental laws is bad for 

the economy and employment. It isn't. We should never have to choose between a job 

and a healthy environment. WE are entitled to both. Americans are no less entitled to 

a safe, clean environment during difficult economic times than they are in a more 

prosperous economy. 

Taking action to reduce carbon pollution and confront our climate crisis is essential to 

safeguard our wildlife and outdoor heritage. 

By utilizing our environmental laws we can help rid the air and water of harmful 

pollutants and restore the health of our eco-systems. 

We strongly urge the EPA and Congress to move forward and finalize Carbon 

Pollution Standards insuring a healthy outdoor legacy for my son and future 

generations. Now and in the future, the EPA and other federal and state 

environmental laws can help ensure that the legacy we leave our children is a clean 

and healthy planet. 

Cheers!