PaulReynolds, Testimony for EPAHearings Good evening. My name is Paul Reynolds; native Alabamian and founder ofReynoldsTechnical Associates, a family-owned broadcastengineering business locatedin Pelham, Alabama. Itis my pleasure to serve as Republican National Committeeman for Alabama and as Chairman ofa public policy organizationcalledthe AlabamaFree Market Alliance. Thankyou for the opportunityto testify today. I stand before you in full oppositionto the new regulations the EPA is proposingto promulgate underthe CleanAirAct. Speaking as one who first handhas experienced adverse federal regulations, it is my firm beliefthat ifproper consideration is givento the effects these regulations willhave onworking families and our state economy, these regulations will be shelved and neverrevisited. Adverse effects from excessive government are bothprimary and secondary, a!kla intended andunintended. Itis economically impossibleto demonstrate one economic gain everrealizedby anincrease inFederal regulation ofthe free market. These regulations stand to have a crippling effect on the well-being of working families in Alabama on numerous levels. First, there are the more than 16,000 families who depend upon the coal industry for their livelihood. Coal is one ofAlabama's most abundant natural resources, and we as a state - in the exercise ofour sovereignty - should have the ability to make our own decisions on how we want to best utilize our God-given natural resources. Makingvillains out ofthe coal industry and the hard-working men and women who rely upon it may make great political hay at Georgetown cocktail parties of the liberal elite, but shutting it down completely is simply an unacceptable path for ournation. Second, eliminating coal as an option for electrical generation will make it virtually impossible for Alabamato maintain its low-priced utilities. In implementing these overly burdensome regulations, I hope that you are fully aware of the impact you will have on hundreds of thousands offamily budgets in the state ofAlabama, alone. The final pressure point that I wish to highlight will be the impact on thejob creators. Whether it is a small, familyowned business like mine, orone ofour fine manufacturerswe are blessed to have in Alabama, the cost of doing business will go up with increased utility prices. What does this mean? Simple. There will be less capital to reinvest in businesses, which will mean less hiring and less jobs.

A scary new concept has risen in the American free market economy. It is the misguided idea that government involvement through ever increasing regulation brings increased market value. This concept is only 180° out of phase. Today the free market struggles under the gargantuan load of a Federal Register that is daily packed with new government regulations. Electrical generation by means ofcoal must not be addedto that mix.Whether it is the unrest in Ukraine, turmoil in the Middle East or the crisis at ourborder, President Obama should be more concerned about a potential world at war than a War on Coal. I implore you to allow the state ofAlabama to make its own energy policy decisions so that we may implement our own all-of-the-above energy policy. Thankyoufor the opportunity to speakthis evening.