Clean Power Plan 

Introduction 

My name is Robert Castellino. CA S T E L L I N O 

I am a professional photographer and self-published author. Colorado has 

been my home for 40 years. 

I love Colorado because of it's natural beauty, immense diversity and 

outdoor life-style. I've spent more than three of those years camping in the 

wilds of Colorado. Over those years I have photographed, written and 

published 5 books about Colorado each with a chapter designated to the 

Ecology of Commerce. 

As a result, I have witnessed and recorded significant visual changes and 

physical environmental degradation to Colorado's sensitive and fragile 

ecology due to the onslaught of the global climate crisis. It concerns and 

saddens me deeply. 

Burning coal to electrify, heat and cool our homes, government operations 

and businesses is exacerbating our problems. 

In 2010, The EPA itself, reported there were a total of 454 US power plants 

that used coal to generate at least 95% of their electricity. Those plants 

emitted about 1.7 trillion metric tons of CO2into our air. 

That's a lot of pollution. 

In Colorado alone for the year 2012 Coal Plant Emissions were 

approximately 35 million metric tons equivalent to the emissions of 6.7 

million automobiles. 

,s14) XlrelreeteReducing Power Plants emissions 30% nationwideAwould be the equivalent 

taking 350 million gas powered automobiles off the road! 
Some of the effects and outcomes driving the global climate crisis in 

Colorado are: 

—Warmer and Longer spring and fall seasons, and shortened winters with 

lower than average snowpack creating water shortages across the west. 

—Melting glaciers in Colorado are effecting stable long term water supplies 

for dense populations along the front range. 

—Extended Droughts like the one effecting the SE portion of our state are 

estimated to be three times worse than the dust bowl era of the 1930's. 

—Extensive vast tracks pine forests are being decimated the pine and spruce 

beatles. Their life cycle two times each season as a result. And its 

happening all across North America. 

— We experience more and frequent forest fires that burn hotter, 

and thoroughly destroying our homes, land, diverse wild ecology and 

eco-tourist based economy. 

—We have Extreme Weather Events like the out of season flood of 

September 2013 affected an area 4,500 sq miles wide, destroying 485 

miles of road and damaging 120 bridges. Plus1,882 homes were destroyed, 

with 26,000 households. The cost? $2.5 billion and rising. 

All these are drawing an exacting toll and cost that cannot be enumerated in 

actual dollars and cents nor in t rms of the decrease in the quality of our 

lives oVier,*per.Ain 1/4ff 

Let's look at the bright side for a moment from an economic perspective. 

In 2008 BusinessWeek's web site reported, the top 25 coal producers had 

combined total revenues of $349 billion in 2007. 

Then, let's redistribute 30% of those revenues or $105 Billion dollars to 

renewable energy sector of the economy over the next 15 years. 

Those dollars would equate to new investment, and infrastructure. It will 

create sustainable businesses, and jobs in the energy efficiency, wind, solar, 

geothermal, solar thermal, hydroelectric and biomass energy industries. 
The hard dollars saved after the initial investments and amortized in short 

run would revitalize American communities and put hard earned dollars 

back in the pockets of average and lower income wage earners over the long 

haul. 

The Clean Power Plan cost to the tax payer? Not a single penny. 

It's a REAL stimulus package that will go the distance towards creating 

economic recovery, that is, truly sustainable. 

Rolling back green house gases 17% by 2020 compared to 2005 levels is a 

good but 2030 is to far in the distant future for a task needed to have been 

done by today. 

For all its worth, Clean Power Plan proposed by the EPA is a great first step 

that will benefit ours and future generations to come. 

Thank you for your time.