Capito, Manchin, Morrisey Push Back On EPA Power Plant Rules

If they take effect, the rules would require coal-burning power plants to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 90 percent, or shut down.

A picture of Appalachian Power's Mountaineer plant in Mason County, West Virginia.

West Virginia’s U.S. senators and state attorney general pushed back against newly announced federal rules for power plant emissions.

Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said Thursday that she’d introduce a resolution of disapproval for new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

If they take effect, the rules would require coal-burning power plants to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 90 percent, or shut down.

Capito said carbon capture technology is not yet in widespread use.

“Right now, nobody’s using that technology at a power plant,” she said. “And so, you know, we have a long way to go before we’re able to do that.”

Democrat Joe Manchin said Wednesday that he’d block every EPA nominee over the rules.

Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said he’d take the matter to court.

The EPA will accept public comment on the proposed rules for 60 days.

Author: Curtis Tate

Curtis is our Energy & Environment Reporter, based in Charleston. He has spent more than 17 years as a reporter and copy editor for Gannett, Dow Jones and McClatchy. He has written extensively about travel, transportation and Congress for USA TODAY, The Bergen Record, The Lexington Herald-Leader, The Wichita Eagle, The Belleville News-Democrat and The Sacramento Bee. You can reach him at ctate@wvpublic.org.

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