Oral Comments to the: 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

About proposed rules for: 

The Clean Power Plan for Existing Sources 

Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602 

Monique Hanis 

Concerned Citizen 

Arlington, Virginia 

J u ly 30, 2014 
Monique Hanis, 6226 23 rd Street North, Arlington, Virginia 

Oral Comments, EPA Hearing, July 30, 2014, Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602 

Good afternoon and thanks for this time to share my comments in support of 

EPA's proposed rules to reduce emissions from existing power plant sources. 

My name is Monique Hanis and I am a concerned citizen from Arlington, Virginia. 

I am here today to register my strong support for these new EPA rules and their 

speedy implementation by states, including Virginia, where I have lived and raised 

my family for nearly 25 years. 

During this time, as a citizen I have tried to do my best to protect and improve our 

environment. I take public transportation, ride my bike and drive a hybrid car. In 

fact, I rode my bike in to be here today. Over the years, my husband and I have 

increased the energy efficiency of the homes we have owned by installing 

insulation, programmable thermostats, more efficient lighting as well as highly 

rated windows and air conditioners. And eight years ago, we also installed solar 

water heating and solar electric PV systems on our current residence to generate 

our own power. Since then, I have seen first-hand that solar energy really works, 

saving nearly 40 percent of our family's energy bills and reducing our dependence 

on coal and natural gas. 

But it's not enough. 

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Monique Hanis, 6226 23 rd Street North, Arlington, Virginia 

Oral Comments, EPA Hearing, July 30, 2014, Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602 

I support these EPA rules because effective public policy is needed to drive larger 

structural changes to make a significant impact on how we generate and use 

energy everywhere we live, work, learn and play. 

By setting achievable targets to reduce our carbon emissions, the EPA rules will 

help us reduce dangerous pollution and address climate change so that our 

communities and our families will have a cleaner, safer future. This is similar to 

past EPA rules that have successfully reduced emissions from our vehicles, 

protected our water and cut other pollution from power plants like sulfur and 

nitrogen dioxides. 

As a concerned citizen, I feel the proposed rules don't go far enough but I support 

them as a balanced, reasonable way to improve our environment while growing 

our economy and creating new, domestic jobs. 

I feel by setting targets, the EPA gives our states and power companies great 

flexibility to comply with a range of options to increase energy efficiency and 

expand use of solar and other renewable, clean and abundant energy sources so 

that we can reduce our dependence on polluting fossil fuels. 

These rules will drive state policymakers and utility companies to seek effective 

market solutions on behalf of our communities and energy customers in all 

sectors. 

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Monique Hanis, 6226 23rd Street North, Arlington, Virginia 

Oral Comments, EPA Hearing, July 30, 2014, Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602 

Also, I feel it is imperative that our nation signal to others globally that we are 

going to do our fair share to reduce emissions that pollute and contribute to 

climate change. We need to lead on this issue and that begins with taking 

meaningful action. 

In my professional career, I have worked in banking, renewable energy and 

sustainable forestry. I learned that companies and markets are remarkably 

effective at adjusting to new circumstances. So are people. I also learned that 

these companies and local economies can grow when we do the right thing to 

protect our environment. 

But we need government guidance to spur us into greater action. That is why I 

fully support these new proposed EPA rules. I encourage power companies — and 

mine in particular, Dominion Power - to embrace these rules and see them as an 

opportunity to develop new sustainable business models that serve the interests 

of customers, the communities they serve, shareholders and our environment. 

So let's get started. 

Thank you. 

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