## 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 externalizetheir 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.