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Inside Energy: EPA hears pros, cons of new carbon regs

Hundreds of people gathered across the nation on Tuesday, in four different cities to give the Environmental Protection Agency a piece of their minds.

The subject: proposed new rules to cut carbon pollution from power plants 30 percent by 2030.

The rules, announced back in June, would be the biggest step taken by the US so far to combat the effects of climate change.

Public hearings are going on in Washington DC, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and the only hearing in the West-- in Denver.

Our Inside Energy Reporter Dan Boyce stopped by.

"We would just like to remind everyone that there are many many people waiting to watch this hearing…”

The Region 8 headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency are full up this week. So full, EPA panel member Jenny Noonan is asking ‘hey, if you’ve been in here for awhile, don’t hog the seat…”

“Give someone else the opportunity to listen to today’s proceedings….”

Two hearing rooms running at the same time from about 9 in the morning to 8 PM--both with a DIFFERENT John Q Citizen speaking every five minutes.

“The President has promised to make the cost of energy skyrocket.”

Comments back to back to back. Retired Colorado Engineer Dale Comford opposes the rules.

“Plants need carbon dioxide to live!”

“I think it’s a historic move and a step in the right direction.”

Karey Christ-Janer thinks they’re great.

Remarks range from pretty broad.

“Climate Change is real.”

To a lot more technical.

“These units should be treated whereby the associated megawatt hours remain…..”

The utility and fossil fuel industries are hoping the rules will be scaled back. Environmental groups want them strengthened. On and on it goes.

“It demonstrates that this is an important proposal and people are really taking it seriously.”

That’s EPA panel member Jenny Noonan again. She’s part of the team that’s writing these rules.

The agency expects to hear from about 400 people in person at the Denver hearings, but get this, they’ve already received 300-thousand comments by email or other means.

“It’s really been a high level of engagement by the public, which is exactly what we are hoping for.”

Outside of the EPA hearing rooms the Sierra Club hands out light blue T-shirts reading I heart clean air. Petition clipboards are circling about from this group or that. And on the street, a food truck offering free ice cream.

“We’ll get you a milk and cookies ice cream in just a sec…”

Ice Cream company Ben and Jerry's partnered with a nonprofit started by former Vice President Al Gore called The Climate Reality Project. They point passers-by to information about climate change as they hand over the compostable cups and spoons.

“This is so cool.”

Rachel Carillo wants to open her own foodtruck with some kind of sustainable message, so this ice cream thing is just a total inspiration

“This is SO COOL!”

She came to the EPA hearings not to speak. She’s just here to listen, and personally, she says she’s never seen public involvement like this for an environmental proposal.

“This is unprecedented.”

After thIS WEEK’S hearings, The EPA is still accepting public comment online until mid-October. The agency plans to release the final rules next June.

Dan Boyce moved to the Inside Energy team at Rocky Mountain PBS in 2014, after five years of television and radio reporting in his home state of Montana. In his most recent role as Montana Public Radio’s Capitol Bureau Chief, Dan produced daily stories on state politics and government.
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