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# - Testimony of Frank Szollosi National Wildlife Federation U.S . Environmental Protection Agency Public Hearing on Proposed Carbon Pollution Standard May24, 2012 Good afternoon, my name is Frank Szollosi , Regional Outreach Coordinator working at National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes office in Ann 

### Arbor, Michigan . I live in Toledo , Ohio . The threat climate changes poses to Great Lakes is real , already happening, is destructive to wildlife, fisheries , habitat, and disruptive and costly to human systems, such as agriculture, tourism, real estate, transportation , and infrastructure . Lake Superior is among the fastest warming lakes in the world.Evaporation increases snow and precipitation- costing cities more money from snow removal to localized flooding; decreases lake levels, hurting property values along the shore and requiring vast, expensive new capital expenditures; expands the reach of invasive species , including the warm-water loving Asian Carp; creates winter wave activity that destroys eggs of fall spawning native fish species critical to Great Lakes economy and heritage, and increases erosion. It ' s important to note that Superior feeds the other Great Lakes. Lake levels in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron may drop by as much as 4 .5 feet due to a combination of decreased precipitation and increased air temperature and evapotranspiration. Groundwater will be impacted, as aquifer levels and recharge rates may drop . Lower lake levels and rising temperatures (both in the 

### air and water) could significantly impact fisheries , wildlife, wetlands , shoreline habitat, and water quality in the Great Lakes region. Tourism, shipping and agriculture is also be vulnerable to climate change impacts. For example, Michigan cherry harvest is down 80% as a result ofthe warm winter and hard fre. eze- the state produces 3 /4th of all U.S. tart cherries- and for the first time in their history, Michigan cherry businesses are importing cherries from Poland and

2elsewhere. Apples and peaches have been adversely impacted as well . Jobs have been lost. $190 million in business profit lost. Last week, the Michigan Legislature passed a resolution asking President Obama and the Secretary ofAgriculture for federal disaster aid. Water shortages in other regions will raise the threat of Great Lakes diversions. Old smokestacks emit 35 , 000 to 40, 000 thousand pounds ofmercury every year into the air, water, land, food, bodies ofhumans and wildlife - contributing to incidences of cancer, shorter lives, less healthy lives . 

### In fact, Midwest utilities are responsible for the greatest share ofcarbon pollution in the U. S . National Electric Power Net Electricity Coal-fired Rank in Sector C02 Generated from Electricity As

C02 Emissions Coal Percentage of E missions I n milli on In megawatt -hours Total Electric from Electri c me t ri

c t

ons Generation Powerse ctor Ill i nois 6 105.7 7 ,968 47.7% Indiana 3 124.2 8,352 91.4% Michigan 12 77 5,392 65.8 % Minnesota 27 37.5 2,256 52.0% Ohio 2 128.7 9,913 88.9% New York 20 47 1,033 10.0% Pennsylvania 4 123.8 8,835 50.5%

Wisconsin 19 49.3 3,125 66.6% Source : U . S. Energy lnform•tlon Administration , St.te Energy Analysis, June 2010 

### In conclusion, clean air standards createjobs, pure and simple, by driving growth 

### in cleaner forms ofenergy. We need a Carbon Pollution Standard not only for new power 3plants , but also for existing fossil -fuel power plants . Climate change poses great risks to public health, to Midwest agriculture and critical Great Lakes fishing and hunting habitat, and adds significant costs to businesses and taxpayers. It ' s time for public policy to catch up with established science and economic analysis . We must stand up for this and future generations .

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