Date : Fri, 8 Apr 2016 17:50:01 -0400
Senator Lesniak to Block Christie's Lawsuit Against Clean Power Plan
Senator Raymond Lesniak has announced action to stop the Christie Administration from suing to block the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan with a budget resolution. The plan includes the most historic program to cut carbon emissions and reduce the nation’s impact on climate change. Senator Lesniak will introduce a budget resolution that would prevent Christie from following through on his attempt to join with other states in their attempt to reverse the Plan. The Christie Administration signed on with 27 other states in suing to block the implementation of the plan.
“It is outrageous that Governor Christie is using taxpayer money to block a plan that is in the taxpayers’ best interest and help fight against climate change. We support Lesniak’s budget resolution to block Christie’s lawsuit against the Clean Power Plan because this plan will improve our economy, public health, and environment. We should not be suing against the Clean Power Plan because it is one of the most important rules to reduce carbon pollution. A third of New Jersey’s pollution comes from out-of-state and this rule will actually help New Jerseyans breathe easier. The Clean Power Plan is a win-win-win for N.J, but Christie’s decision to litigate against the Plan has been a lose-lose for us,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “ This lawsuit is wrong from New Jersey and bad for our environment. The only thing standing in our way from a cleaner and greener future is Governor Christie. Our Governor has clearly sacrificed New Jersey’s interest to appease the Right Wing. We want to thank Senator Lesniak for his continuing work on climate change and introducing this important resolution to end our lawsuit against the Clean Power Plan.”
Under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Power Plan, the U.S will cut carbon emissions by 32% from the 2005 levels. States must issue their initial plan by 2016, a final plan by 2018 and begin compliance in 2022. Carbon pollution is linked to life-threatening air pollution like the smog that triggers asthma attacks, making it a serious hazard to Americans’ health and future. Despite originally suing the EPA to initiate such a rule in 2007, New Jersey was one of the states that filed suit against the plan which sets the first limits on dangerous carbon pollution from power plants. The litigation from 27 states claimed the EPA went beyond Congress’s authority to regulate states’ electricity generation.
“Senator Lesniak’s proposal will block funding for Governor Christie to continue suing with 26 other states who have sided with the Koch Brothers and Big Oil against this rule. The EPA has said it will continue to work with states that choose to continue the Clean Power Plan, but unfortunately New Jersey isn’t one of them since we are suing against it. What is even more outrageous is that New Jersey was originally one of the 11 states that sued the EPA to issue a carbon rule to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and we won that case in 2007. Instead of protecting our public health and environment, our Governor switched sides and joined the lawsuit over our public health and the environment,” said Tittel.
Improving our air quality would not only help protect our health by saving lives, but it will help our environment. However, Governor Christie has aligned himself with polluters and is in direct opposition to the majority of New Jerseyans who support the Clean Power Plan . Chris Christie has turned his back on 20 years of state history and policy, while sacrificing our environment for his political campaign. The plan will help avoid 3,600 premature deaths, 90,000 asthma attacks in children and deliver total health benefits of $14 billion to $34 billion in 2030 to the American people, according to the EPA. In addition, average electric utility bills for consumers are projected to decline by more than $80 per year when the Clean Power Plan is fully implemented.
“ We are glad to see Senator Lesniak’s resolution to block the Governor’s denial of climate change. This resolution will prohibit us from suing against the Clean Power Plan and the Governor’s denial for New Jersey and the nation to reduce greenhouse gasses. Governor Christie has violated the Global Warming Response Act by eliminating programs to reduce carbon pollution and then joined a lawsuit to block the Clean Power Plan. He closed the Office of Climate Change, pulled us out of RGGI, refused to regulate carbon as an air pollutant, rolled back our Energy Master Plan goals from 30% to 22.5%, blocked offshore wind, and diverted over a $1 billion from the Clean Energy Fund. His actions are having an impact on New Jersey with consequences to our health and environment,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “ Christie wants to ruin our environment and refuse to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We need to implement the Clean Power Plan and address climate change now before it’s too late. That is why we support this resolution and hope it will help New Jersey participate in the Clean Power Plan.”
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Jamie Zaccaria Administrative Assistant New Jersey Sierra Club office: (609) 656-7612 https://www.facebook.com/NJSierraClub