January 27, 2015 

Dear Assistant Administrator McCabe: 

The Environmental Protection F,gency's Clean Power Plan must put forward strong targets for 

existing power plants if we hope to avoid the worst impacts of climate disruption. Carbon pollution from 

the electric power sector contributes almost 40 percent of the country's total emissions. Regulating 

emissions from power plants is an essential part of a climate action plan, and requiring greenhouse gas 

reductions quickly will be key to the plan's efficacy. We are deeply concerned about your recent 

statements regarding timing and decision to delav the finalization of the rule. 

Earlier this month, you emphasized the importance of sufficient flexibility and time to allow states and 

utilities to meet the emission reduction requirements. Your consideration of phasing in targets more 

gradually than reductions required in the proposed rule contradicts the science showing we must make 

greenhouse gas reductions immediately. Issuing this on the first day of the new Congress sends a strong 

signal that the Administration is willing to cave to the demands of irresponsible lawmakers working on 

behalf of the fossil fuel industry to stop any policy that would restrict carbon pollution. The House 

Energy and Commerce Committee majority already expressed its intent to undermine the ruie since it 

would require reductions too quicklX. Your suggestions to weaken the rule will only encourage them to 

push harder to make the rule more and more inadequate. 

Acting swifftly to reduce carbon pollution is necessary. Greenhouse gases have a strong cumulative 

effect, remaining in the atmosphere for decades after they are released. This means that immediate 

reductions are more important than reductions in future years. The longer states are given to comply, 

the more today's emissions are magnified, and the greater chance there is of catastrophic impacts in the 

future. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that significant reductions are 

needed by 2020 in order to keep atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide at sustainable levels 

prevent the worst consequences of climate disruption. Even based on the most optimistic estimates of 

the proposed rule, the Clean Power Plan would cut carbon dioxide from the power sector only 12 

percent below 20121evels by 2020, or less than four percent of economy-wide greenhouse gases. The 

Clean Power Plan should be radically strengthened. 

We are already feeling the impacts of climate disruption and cannot afford to wait to take action. 

Climate disruption increases the frequency and length of drotaghts — like those we are currently 

experiencing in the western U.S. — with debilitating effects on agriculture and livestock cultivation. It 

causes hotter, drier weather trat fuels destructive wildfres. Risi.iig sea iev el; are destroying sources of 

freshwater and overtaking populated coastlines while warmer oceans contribute to hurricanes — like 

Katrina and Sandy — of more intense magnitude than has been seen in the past. 

We urge you to stand strong against the calls to weaken the rule and, instead, strengthen the rule to 

require steeper reductions by 2020. As you said yourself, EPA prides itself on "follow[ing] the science 

[and] protect[ing] public health." Please follow this tradition and implement the authority that the 

Clean Air Act gives to the EPA by mandating steep reductions by 2020 in the final existing power plant 

rule. 

Sincerely, 

D,q,q -ls -e d,~ - -,!;-3 7 V 
National 

Center for Biological Diversity 

Friends of the Earth U.S. 

Green America 

Greenpeace USA 

Hands Across the Sand 

Labor Network for Sustainability 

Ocean Conservation Research 

Public Citizen 

Solar Grid Storage 

Sciencecorps 

Unitarian Universalist Association 

Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives 

Local/Re i ~ onal 

Alaska's Big Village Network 

Berkshire Environmental Action Team (MA) 

Better Future Project (MA) 

Bold Nebraska 

Calvert Citizens for a Healthy Community (MD) 

Crabshell Alliance (MD) 

Endangered Habitats League (CA) 

Earth Day New York 

Fairmont, MN Peace Group 

Nature Abounds (PA) 

Nuclear Watch South 

Protect Orange County (NY) 

River Guardian Foundation (NC) 

Save Our Sky Blue Waters (MN) 

Stop The Minisink Compressor Station (NY) 

Western Nebraska Resources Council 
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