EPA Testimony 

I want to thank the EPA for granting us the opportunity for public comment on the 

carbon pollution standards for our country. The EPA is the vanguard of protection against 

polluters and for the public welfare, upon whom we all depend. Thank you for your service to 

our country in spite of significant political, litigious, and economic pressures arrayed against 

your agency. There are massive amounts of information indicating the negative effects of 

carbon pollution upon our environment, our health, and the weather. That said, it remains 

difficult for the average person to relate to this issue on a personal, tangible level. I have a 

personal experience of the impact of carbon emissions that I have seen over time that I would 

like to share. 

We bought a vacation home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1986. At the time 

we bought our cottage, the summer highs were generally in the low 80's, and the locals would 

complain about how uncomfortable the heat was on those days. Air conditioning was almost 

non-existent up there at that time, because there was no need for it. Snow routinely covered 

the ground to some depth throughout most of the winter. The lakes and the water table were 

routinely replenished by the cycle of heavy snows in the winter and rain throughout the rest of 

the year. 

Temperatures in the North Woods began to slowly rise about 15 years ago. The first 

time some of our friends used our cottage and talked about how hot it was during their visit, 

we were amazed. They reported temperatures in the '90's! No one had experienced 

temperatures that high up there! Then we experienced a few scattered days with similar 

temperatures. This had been unheard of in the U.P. Air conditioning has now become common 

in businesses and in some homes. The area experiences routine summer temperatures in the 

'80's and occasional days in the '90's every year. We went up to our cottage this past weekend 

to open it up for the season. On Saturday, the high for the area reached 90 degrees! Surely a 

record for May 19'h in the North Woods! 

Seven years ago, a new phenomenon began to occur in the North Woods. In the Land 'o 

Lakes, we began to have droughts. This began with warmer winters and diminished snowfall, 

followed by minimal rainfall. This pattern continued for FIVE CONSECUTIVE YEARS!! The 

World Snowmobile Derby Race held annually in Eagle River, Wisconsin, 20 miles south of us, 

was actually cancelled due to a lack of snow at least once! The diminished snowfall took away a 

primary source of precipitation for the North Woods, and the lake levels started dropping--

eventually dramatically. The end of our dock stood in only 1-2 inches of water. Boats were 

beached. At the biggest lake in our area, Lac Vieux Desert, the water level dropped so low that 
boats could not get out to the water. Some resorts built piers extending 100' feet or more out 

into the lake. 

The trees of the North Woods have been weakened from the increased heat and 

drought conditions. Our cottage is on a lake called Birch Lake. The contrast around the lake of 

green conifers, other deciduous trees, and white birches was beautiful. The demise of the 

white birches was mostly attributed to the birch borer. That nemesis had been around for a 

while, but seemingly, they became more vulnerable. The prolific birch trees around our lake 

are now almost gone. People have asked me, "Why did they name it 'Birch Lake,' when there 

are almost no birches around here?" There has been an increase in storms with high winds. 

Combined with the trees' weakened condition, blow-downs have become somewhat common. 

We have experienced a sharp increase of downed trees on our own property. We have also 

begun to see the loss of the beautiful hemlocks of the North Woods. The hemlocks are dying of 

diseases or being blown down at a pace we had not seen before. It's been a sad process to 

watch. All of these issues appear to be related to climate changes stimulated by excessive C02 

levels. 

In summary, I'd like to state, that in my opinion, the effects of massive C02 emissions on 

our environments are substantial, costly, and potentially irrevocable! The ultimate impacts 

from these emissions are not totally clear to us, but few appear to be beneficial to our country, 

our economy, our environment, and to our people. I appeal to you, the representatives of the 

EPA, to take the next action available to you to reverse this dangerous path we are on at this 

time. My personal experiences in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan tell me that time is of the 

essence. Please approve the stronger carbon pollution standards for new power plants as 

quickly as possible. Thank you for your time and the opportunity to present my concerns. 

Terry Grace 

708-383-1554 

Oak Park, II.