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Testimony Beforethe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Re: Proposed Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standardsfor New Electric Generating Units Docket No. EPA-HQ-2011-0660
Nathan Willcox, Federal Global Warming Program Director, Environment America May 24, 2012 Washington, D.C. Good afternoon and thank you forthe opportunityto testify today on the critically important issue ofcarbon pollution from power plants. My name is Nathan Willcox, and I direct EnvironmentAmerica's federal global warming program. Environment America is afederation of 29 state-based environmental organizations, workingto protectAmerica's air, water and open spaces. On behalfof EnvironmentAmerica's citizen members nationwide, I commend EPA for its proposed carbon pollution standardsfor new power plants, and urge the agencyto move forward with finalizingthese much-needed standards this year. Doing so will help to ensure that we protect our health, our environment and our planetforfuture generations.
The science is clearthat global warming is happening, and that it is beingfueled by carbon pollution from human activities. Already March 2012 was the hottest March on record forthe continental U.S., 2010 tied forthe hottestyear, and the decade of2001-2010 was the hottest 10-year period on record. Globally, April 2012 marked the 326'h consecutive month that the global average temperature was above its 20'h century normal.
The evidence that humans are warmingthe globe is only strengthening; in the words ofa recent reportfrom the U.S. National Academy ofSciences: "Some scientific conclusions or theories have been so thoroughly examined and tested, and supported by so many independent observations and results, that their likelihood ofsubsequently beingfound to be wrong is vanishingly smaii.

..This is the case forthe conclusion that the Earth system is warming and that much ofthiswarming is very likely due to human activities."
The science is also clearthat left unchecked, global warming will negatively impact our health, our safety, and ourenvironment in a number ofways. Numerous studies bythe Environment America Research & Policy Center and others have documented the increase in extreme weatherthat many areas ofthe country have already seen in recent decades, and documented the science showing howglobal warming will likely bring even more extreme weather in the future. Other studies have shown how global warming will lead to the loss of native plant and animal species, as well as drought and a dangerous rise in sea level.
Butthe potential damage to our health from global warming is key, specifically with relation to ozone "smog" pollution. This is the pollution that hangs over our cities on many ofthe hottest summer days, triggeringasthma attacks and a numberofother respiratory problemsfor even healthy individuals. Since heat is a key ingredient in the formation ofsmog, scientists predict
1that we'll see even more smog in awarming world. In fact, a recent study bythe Union of Concerned Scientists predicts that higher levels ofground-level ozone due to rising temperatures could lead to 2.8 million more asthma attacks and other respiratory problems, leadingto 900,000 additional missed days ofschool. That's bad news for all of us, but especiallythe millions ofchildren, adults and seniors who sufferfrom asthma and other respiratory problems. And this is to say nothing ofglobal warming's impact on our health because of morefrequent and more intense heat waves, and the spread oftropical diseases.
We've known foryears that power plants are the largest single source ofthe carbon pollution fuelingthe problem. Yet for decadesthese power plants have been allowed to spew unlimited amounts ofcarbon pollution into our air, with the exception of power plants in the areas ofthe country that have enacted state and regional caps on carbon pollution. In orderto achieve the reductions in carbon pollutionthat scientists say are necessary to avoid the worst consequences ofglobal warming, we need to reverse thistrend and start holding power plants accountable for their carbon pollution.
That is why EPA's proposed carbon pollution standards for new power plants are so important. Until we rein in the largest emitters ofcarbon pollution-most notably power plants-we cannot possibly hope to achieve the reductions in carbon pollution called for by scientists. Environment America therefore wholeheartedly supports EPA's proposed carbon pollution standards for new power plants, and we also urge the EPAto move ahead with carbon pollution standards for existing power plants. Curbing pollution from potential new power plants is critical, but even more critical is curbing pollution from plants that are pollutingtoday.
The public supportfor the standards is strong, and it is growing. Already, EnvironmentAmerica and our state affiliatesthroughoutthe country have collected more than 180,000 public comments in support of EPA moving ahead with carbon pollution standards for new and existing power plants. The broader nationwide network ofenvironmental and public health groups working on this issue has gathered over 1 million supportive public comments. Thank you again forthe opportunityto testifytoday, and forthe Agency's work in developing these important standards to protect our health and our environment.

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