<\/p>\n
DENVER \u2013 Colorado\u2019s Republican attorney general said Friday she has entered the state into a lawsuit that aims to block implementation of federal carbon-pollution standards.<\/p>\n
Cynthia Coffman made the announcement after the Environmental Protection Agency published the final rule in the Federal Register, though details of the plan have been known since August.<\/p>\n
Carbon-dioxide emissions must be reduced by 28 percent in Colorado and 32 percent nationally by 2030. The state is charged with developing a specific plan for Colorado.<\/p>\n
Coffman\u2019s announcement puts her at odds with Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, who denounced the lawsuit in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cClean air and protecting public health should be everyone\u2019s top priority. Colorado\u2019s interest is best served by an open, inclusive process to implement the Clean Power Plan. This lawsuit will create uncertainty for the state and undermine stakeholders\u2019 ability to plan for and invest in cost-effective compliance strategies, something that the attorney general has been advising the state on,\u201d Hickenlooper said. \u201cColorado has already made great progress in clean air and clean jobs, and worked extensively with the EPA to ensure we have the time and flexibility we need. \u200bWe believe that Colorado can achieve the clean air goals set by the EPA, at little or no increased cost to our residents.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a bit of an odd situation considering Hickenlooper is a direct client of Coffman\u2019s. But Coffman, who was elected last year, pointed out that she has independent authority to initiate legal action.<\/p>\n
\u201cColoradans value the environment, and our state continues to be a national leader in establishing clean energy standards,\u201d Coffman said in a statement. \u201cWe\u2019ve proven again and again that good environmental policy can be developed and implemented successfully by Coloradans, and within the bounds of the law. This rule fits neither description.\u201d<\/p>\n
Colorado joins 23 other states in suing to block implementation. The crux of the case revolves around whether the federal government has authority to \u201cusurp\u201d state control over power grids and emission standards. The case was filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.<\/p>\n
With publication of the rule Friday, a 90-day public comment period begins, which runs through Jan. 21. Additional public hearings are expected to be part of the comment period.<\/p>\n
The EPA defended the rule Friday, stating that it is \u201cgrounded firmly in science and the law, and is fair, flexible and affordable.\u201d Supporters of the plan point to health benefits and cost savings by reducing air pollution and curbing climate change. They add that the rule was crafted after extensive stakeholder meetings and public hearings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Clean Power Plan has strong scientific and legal foundations, provides states with broad flexibilities to design and implement plans and is clearly within EPA\u2019s authority under the Clean Air Act,\u201d EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said in a statement. \u201cWe are confident we will again prevail against these challenges and will be able to work with states to successfully implement these first-ever national standards to limit carbon pollution, the largest source of carbon emissions in the United States.<\/p>\n
Hickenlooper\u2019s administration in September announced that Colorado would create the Colorado Climate Plan, which \u201cdemonstrates our commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through EPA\u2019s Clean Power Plan and Colorado\u2019s own initiatives,\u201d said Dr. Larry Wolk, executive director and chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.<\/p>\n
Environmental groups piled on Coffman, suggesting she is playing political games rather than considering the interests of Coloradans.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast time I checked, Attorney General Cynthia Coffman represented the interests of all Coloradans, not just a select few special interests,\u201d said Pete Maysmith, executive director of Conservation Colorado. \u201cIt is time for Coffman to shelve her political ambitions \u2026 and put the needs of Coloradans first.\u201d<\/p>\n