### EPA Testimony

I wanttothankthe EPA for granting us the opportunityfor public comment on the carbon pollution standards for our country. The EPA is the vanguard of protection against polluters and forthe public welfare, upon whom we all depend. Thank you foryour service to our country in spite ofsignificant political, litigious, and economic pressures arrayed against your agency. There are massive amounts of information indicatingthe negative effects of carbon pollution upon our environment, our health, and the weather. That said, it remains difficultforthe average person to relate tothis issue on a personal, tangible level. I have a personal experience ofthe impact ofcarbon emissions that I have seen overtime that I would like to share. We bought avacation home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1986. Atthe time we bought our cottage, the summer highs were generally in the low 80's, and the locals would complain about how uncomfortablethe heat was on those days. Air conditioning was almost non-existent upthere atthat time, because there was no need for it. Snow routinely covered the ground to some depth throughout most ofthe winter. The lakes and the watertable were routinely replenished by the cycle of heavy snows in thewinter and rain throughoutthe rest of the year. Temperatures in the North Woods began to slowly rise about 15 years ago. The first time some ofourfriends used our cottage and talked about how hot it was duringtheirvisit, we were amazed. They reported temperatures in the '90's! No one had experienced temperaturesthat high up there! Then we experienced a few scattered days with similar temperatures. This had been unheard ofin the U.P. Air conditioning has now become common in businesses and in some homes. The area experiences routine summertemperatures in the '80's and occasional days in the '90's every year. We went upto our cottage this past weekend to open it up forthe season. On Saturday, the high forthe 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 warmerwinters 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 ofsnow at least once! The diminished snowfall took away a primarysource of precipitation forthe North Woods, and the lake levels started dropping-- eventually dramatically. The end ofourdock stood in only 1-2 inches ofwater. Boats were beached. Atthe biggest lake in ourarea, Lac Vieux Desert, the water level dropped so lowthatboats could notget outtothe water. Some resorts built piers extending 

### 100'feet or more out intothe lake. The trees ofthe 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 ofthe white birches was mostly attributed tothe birch borer. That nemesis had been around for a while, but seemingly, they became morevulnerable. The prolific birch trees around our lake are nowalmost 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 thetrees' weakened condition, blow-downs have become somewhat common. We have experienced a sharp increase ofdowned trees on ourown property. We have also begun to see the loss ofthe beautiful hemlocks ofthe North Woods. The hemlocks are dying of diseases or being blown down at a pace we had notseen before. It's been a sad process to watch. All ofthese issues appearto be related to climate changes stimulated by excessive C02 levels. In summary, I'd like to state, that in myopinion, the effects of massive C02 emissions on our environments are substantial, costly, and potentially irrevocable! The ultimate impacts from these emissions are nottotallyclear to us, butfew appearto be beneficial to our country, our economy, our environment, and to our people. Iappeal toyou, the representatives ofthe EPA, totake the next action available toyou 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 ofthe essence. Please approve the stronger carbon pollution standards for new power plants as quickly as possible. Thank you foryourtime and the opportunityto present myconcerns.

Terry Grace



### 708-383-1554 Oak Park, II.