Burton Issues Statement on Utility Emissions Deregulation

On Sept. 14, the Environmental Protection Agency announced they would be rolling back Obama and Biden-era regulations that required coal and gas power plants to capture 90% of climate-altering pollution by 2032. The previous administration estimated that these regulations would prevent 1,200 premature deaths, 360,000 cases of asthma and 57,000 lost workdays. This policy change is expected to be the subject of intense legal scrutiny.

State Rep. Alex Burton (D-Evansville) issued the following statement:

"At every level, we’re seeing government choose shortcuts over solutions that actually improve people’s quality of life. I understand that families are concerned about energy costs. But making electricity more affordable should never mean accepting a sicker population as the price of doing business.

"Hoosiers already face real barriers to accessing affordable healthcare. The last thing we should be doing is weakening environmental protections that help prevent illness in the first place. When we allow more pollution into our communities, we risk increasing the health problems that families are already struggling to afford and manage.

"We should be pursuing energy policies that lower costs and protect public health. We can invest in reliable, affordable energy without making clean air and the health of Hoosiers negotiable. That is what responsible leadership looks like. Simply rolling back protections and hoping the consequences don’t reach our communities is not."