{Washington, D.C.}...U.S. Representative Shelley Moore Capito, D-W.Va., says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new rules unveiled last week for coal-fired power plants could eliminate jobs and will be particularly harsh on West Virginia's economy. The EPA regulations aim to limit mercury, arsenic and other toxic air pollutants from coal-fired plants. The rules require plants to be in compliance over the next three to four years. Over the next couple years, power companies will have to retrofit their plants, find an alternate fuel source or close coal-fired power plants. Capito says that will mean higher utility prices for manufacturers, individuals and senior citizens on a fixed income. Capito, who says the rules do not consider economic impacts, is pushing for legislation that calls for EPA officials to consider the economic effects of new policies, instead of just environmental concerns. That bill has cleared the U.S. House, but has not gotten through U.S. Senate. EPA leaders say the new emissions standards could prevent more than 10,000 premature deaths each year, and cleaner air will limit the number of people with asthma and other illnesses.
