Testimonyforthe EPA Clean Power Plan Wendy Fleit, Silver Spring, Maryland July 

### 29th, 2014

Thank you for holdingthese hearings on the Clean Power Plan. My name is Wendy Fleit, and I appreciate the opportunityto make myvoice heard. Though I am no expert on energy policy, I knowthatthe sooner wetake responsibility for a clean environment, for clean air and waterto go along with our electric power, the better itwill be for our people, our nation and the world. We can afford to be responsible for reducing our carbon emissions and other pollutants associated with powergeneration. As one ofthe richest nations in the world, it is our responsibilitytotake a leadership position on clean air, clean water, a clean environment. I am a Mom and a wife, a daughter and a daughter-in-law, a sister and a sister-in-law, and if Iam lucky, someday Iwill be a mother-in-law and agrandmother. And everyone I am related to, and everyone you are related to, benefits by having clean air. The literaturetalks about howwe will save seven dollars in health care costs for every dollarofinvestment. To my mind, though health care savings may be used tojustifythe monies invested, makingthe investment is in fact our responsibility as stewards ofthis incredible planet on which we live. All of us having a healthier place to live and breathe is more importantthan the monies that the investment would cost each ofus. The Clean Power Plan with cleaner power and cleaner air, is the right thingto do. As Ithink aboutthe Clean Power Plan, my mind turnsto China. A colleague of mine was visitingfamily there. I asked ifshe wanted to return to China to live. In reply she said that when she was in Beijing, the sky was gray and low, due to pollution. No blue skies, no sunshine. And she, herson and husband could not leave the hotel forthe four days theywere there due tothe unhealthy air. I am so thankful that we have pollution standards, pollution controls here in our country. Yes, complying with pollution regulations cost money, butthe result benefits all of us. We have been where China is, we have had burning rivers and acid rain killing lakes and forests. I hope China will wake up tothe cost oftheir actions sooner ratherthan later. As I prepared mytestimony, a recent trip to Spain also came to mind. As we drovethrough the countryside, we came upon wind turbines, generating clean energy for Spain. They were in numerous places across the landscape, a part ofeveryday life. Spain is taking responsibilityfor clean power. As a resident of Maryland, neighborto Pennsylvania, I also wantto say that I have concerns about Natural Gas obtained through tracking. Not all Natural Gas is clean; the extraction ofsome of it poisons ourground water. Please, let us wake upto the longterm effects ofour energy production, not only in the air, but in ourwater as well. Please put a stop to tracking and the damage it does to our ground water. As I said earlier, it is timethat we, as one ofthe richest nations in the world, take a leadership position for a clean earth, a leadership position we have too often leftto others. It is common sense to make the power we consume clean power, so that we can leave our country and the world in better condition forthe generationsto come. For me, that image ofa burning rivers and forests damaged by acid rain are iconic of the low points in our environmental stewardship. We have made great strides and the next step is to have clean energy now. Let us stop mortgaging ourfuture forthe sake ofenergy that is afew dollars cheaper today. Thank You.