Comments submitted on July 30, 2014 to the United States Environmental 

Agency Hearings for the Clean Power Plan for Existing Power Plants and the 

Carbon Pollution Standard for Modified Sources. Presented by Jose de Arteaga 

of Washington DC; Email kenn.jose@comcast.net 

I am Jose de Arteaga from Washington DC. Thank you for this opportunity to speak in support of 

including methane in the Presidents Climate Action Plan and the EPA's new regulations to reduce carbon 

po lution from power p!ants. I encourage the EPA to address the issue of inethane- the other major 

contributor to the current climate crisis 

I recent!y wa!ked the shores of the Anacostia River at one of my favorite local National Parks, the 

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. I spotted some of my favorite resident birds including Osprey, Wild Turkey 

and even a Bald Eagle. The toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants harm these birds and disrupt 

their mating, breeding, and parenting. In addition, among the migratory visitors, I have noticed early 

spring arriva!s, ear!y nesting, and later fall departures. The scientific experts have near!y unanimous y 

concluded that this is due to climate change, which in !arge part is caused by burning coal. In fact, 

according to Audubon Society, as a result of climate change, near!y 60 percent of the 305 species found 

to winter across North America have shifted their ranges northward by an average of 40 mi!es since 

1966. And the EPA should recognize that methane poses simi!ar threats and a!so needs to be regulated. 

I encourage the panel to visit Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and enjoy the Osprey and Bald Eagles. Please 

protect these birds and cut carbon/methane pol!ution from existing power plants and reduce emissions 

for new and modified sources. AII our birds are counting on you. 

In fact, when you go to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens take your chi!dren and/or grandchi!dren with 

you! They are counting on you as well. Not only will you benefit from the natural beauty, but you will 

enhance your relationships with your family/loved ones. Your visit will also remind us of our collective 

obligation to reduce toxic exposure that causes cancer, asthma and other health problems. AII our kids 

are counting on you. 

In fact, when you go to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens take a few small business owners with you! A 

c!ean and healthy environment is good for the economy- bird watching; hiking, picnicking, 

canoeing/kayaking are all lucrative parts of our parochial and national economies. Image if we cou!d 

make the Anacostia watershed swimmable, fishab!e even snorkelab!e, image the land va!ue and positive 

economic potentia!s. And don't forget the coffee and food you snacked on during all your National Park 

visits creates jobs that depend on c!ean water as well. Our economies are counting on you. 

In fact, when you go to the Kenilworth take a few economists with you! We all know innovation drives 

our economy. In the energy sector that means renewable sources of energy-- like so!ar, tide, thermal, 

and wind. Not in spending taxpayers money in subsidizing a small number of wealthy corporations; nor 

rescuing their bad investments and stranded assets. We need to tax carbon, and not twist market 

conditions in their favor. We need to assure that the cost of fossil fuel production is rea!ized by the 

corporations themselves and not downstream consumers. Don't let powerful corporations externalize 
their costs-- in the form of po!lution c!eanup and amelioration, healthcare costs and lost productivity. 

The damage to the environment and public health is too high, unfair and unsustainab!e. If the real cost 

of fossil fuel reflected all of these variables and corporations were prohibited from externalizing their 

production costs-- than real renewab!e energy sources would be immediately competitive and 

innovation would create better technology and increase the market share of renewable energy. Thusly, 

please structure your regu!ations to ensure that these large powerful corporations don't simply switch 

from one dirty fossil fuel- coal to another dirty fossil fuel- gas. Please promulgate regulations that that 

reflect the real cost of carbon and creates a national renewable energy infrastructure. Do not construct 

new carbon rules that promote fracking for gas in U.S. communities. Promote spending on renewab!e 

sources via strong existing Renewable Portfolio Standards model, not the bui!ding of expensive 

infrastructure on so ca!led bridge fossil fuels that are just as toxic — rather spend today's dollars on 

tomorrow's clean energy not yesterday's dirty energy. Therefore avoiding the !ateral move from coal to 

gas but a vertical move from dirty to c!ean. 

The American people know this and there is precedent. These same companies resisted regu!ations 

designed to heal the effects of acid rain on forest and !akes in the eastern United States,( caused by 

sulfur-dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants), and chemical companies fought rules designed to 

stop them from burning a ho!e in the ozone layer. Ask communities that rely on tourism and clean 

water in the Adirondacks if the acid rain regu!ations worked to save their communities and economies. 

Moreover, in both cases, the exact industries thrived and nature healed. The dire economic 

consequences the corporations predicted not on!y not come true but the opposite happened. Our 

economy is counting on you. 

In fact, when you to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens take a few local and national po!iticians with you! 

A strong national c!imate action p!an is good for our democracy and the President's C!imate Action Plan 

and the EPA's Carbon Pollution Protections are a good start to bringing the peoples clean (no coal or 

gas) agenda of a to fruition. The American people want c!ean air and water, they want to protect 

wildlife and the environment; they like to swim and snorkel, and are in favor of strong effective 

regu!ations. They want what is fair. The American peop!e don't shift the cost of their households or 

small business to their neighbors or dump them into the public domain. And they don't want big energy 

companies to be able to either. It is not fair. They don't want big corporations to exploit public resources 

and to unfairly dominate our democracy. Our democracy is counting on you. 

Please tax carbon, address Carbon Dioxide and Methane, coal and gas. Strengthen the portfolio 

standards. Don't go Nuclear go green. Don't go lateral go vertical. Turn it don't burn it.