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### DocketNo. EPA-HQ-2011-0660 Carol Stone 703-533-0189 (do notpublish)**201(~**



### Testimonyin SupportofRegulating Carbon Emissions from PowerPlants 1

Aresident ofVirginia for the past 23 years, Ifrequently sail on the Chesapeake Bay and camp, hike, and cycle in the Potomac and Shenandoah River Watersheds. Irelish opportunities to swim, kayak, and fish in natural waters thatare clean enough in which to safely do so. Though Iwork as a violin and viola teacher, because ofmy appreciation for clean water, Ihave earned a Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering, and my personal environmental advocacy now tends to center on aquatic environments. Therefore, Iwould like to address a specific concern about C02 emissions that is not often mentioned in the mainstream media. This concern is the acidification ofthe world's oceans.Acidification, and related carbonate depletion, occurs when C02 from the air mixes with salt water and forms carbonic acid. Hydrogen ions thus released also quickly reactwith carbonate ions, making them unavailable to organisms that need carbonate for shell-building. C02 released into the the air by power plants and other sources is quite readily absorbed into the ocean, and the deleterious effects, long predicted in the scientific community, are beginning to be
seen in reality. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), acidity in the oceans has risen 30% in the past 200 years since the onset ofthe industrial revolution, and this is thought to be primarily due the absorption ofC02 from the air. As the rate ofC02 emissions increases, so does the rate ofthe acidification ofthe world oceans (Tom Pelton, Bay Daily Posted, 09 May 2012 05:17AM PDT).
Ocean acidification, predicted to be harmful to any aquatic organisms that form shells, has alreadybegun to demonstrably take its toll on the health ofoyster populations in the Pacific Northwest. Over the pastdecade, highly acidified seawater has begun rising up along portions oftheWest Coastand the corrosive waters are preventingthe larvae ofwild oyster populations from successfullyforming shells in
areas such as the Puget Sound ofWashington State. Oysterhatcheries in Washington and Oregon have also begun to experience extremely high larval mortality rates that have been attributed to this same corrosively acidic seawater.Affected oyster hatcheries on the West Coast now must monitor their seawater intaketo avoid the most acidic water and buffer overly acidicwater, using sodium bicarbonate, in order to raise the pH to levels that allow oysterlarvae to survive. This is an expensive and short-term solution and is currently supported with federal funds (Elizabeth Grossman, Yale Environment 360, 21 Nov 2011: Report, Northwest Oyster Die-offs Show Ocean Acidification Has Arrived).
The problems in the American Northwest are examples ofwhatwe can expectto see more ofworldwide as C02 emissions from power plants and other sources continues. Accordingto Richard Feely, "a senior scientistat NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and an expert in the ocean's carbon chemistry,

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### DocketNo. EPA-HQ-2011-0660 Carol Stone 703-533-0189 (do notpublish) 2

problems with ocean acidification are also starting to be seen on the U.S.'s Atlantic coast and in Australia. Agricultural runoffand sewage have been taking a toll on the once-thriving oysterbusiness in the Chesapeake Bay, and now rising ocean acidity is further exacerbating the problems ofC02-laden waters there," (Elizabeth Grossman, Yale Environment 360, 21 Nov 2011: Report, Northwest Oyster Die-offs Show Ocean Acidification Has Arrived).

All organisms that build a shell or contribute a branch ofa coral reefare threatened, notjustthe mussels and oysters that many love to eat. Amultitude offamiliar organisms (and others we may not be so familiar with, such as foraminifera) form
an integral part ofthe food chain and also provide essential oceanic habitats for fish and other sea creatures (Carl Zimmer, Yale Environment 360, 15 Feb 2010: Analysis, An OminousWarningon the Effects ofOcean Acidification).
Thus, C02 emissions are notjustharming our respiratory health and trapping heat in our atmosphere, they are threatening theviability our oceans as well, thereby undermining the world's environmental health ata very fundamental level. C02 emissions must be curbed, and limiting emissions from both new and existing powerplants is essential in light ofthe threats to ocean systems thatwe are beginning to see unfold.
Isupportthe EPA's proposed stanrlrlrrls for limiting carbon pollution from new powerplants, and l urge the EPA to act quickly and responsibly to finalize these standards and to move forward to develop standards for existingpowerplants as well.
Thankyou for your time and your attention to my concerns as a Virginia citizen.