Cities Condemn U.S. Withdrawal of Clean Power Plan

WASHINGTON — October 10, 2017 — This afternoon, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to repeal the Clean Power Plan (CPP), a measure by the previous administration to reduce greenhouse gases emitted from power plants to 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. In response to today’s announcement, NLC President Matt Zone, councilmember, Cleveland, issued the following statement:

“Today’s announcement is a major disappointment to cities and local leaders, and represents a major step back for the future of our country, our public health and our economic vitality. To date, the Clean Power Plan (CPP) represents the most meaningful American effort to counter the harmful effects of greenhouse gases and establish our role as a global leader for cleaner energy.

“Many cities will continue to push toward meeting the goals of the CPP and the Paris Agreement, but today we find ourselves looking for a strong federal partner to help lead the fight against climate change on the national level.

“City leaders are on the front lines building resilient infrastructure to combat rising sea levels, responding to wildfires, addressing crop failures and dealing with the public health effects resulting from pollution. As the EPA moves forward, we urge the agency to consult local leaders during the rulemaking process and to quickly begin the process of developing a meaningful replacement.”