Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued a statement on today’s oral arguments in Washington’s multistate lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s attempts to roll back the Clean Power Plan and replace it with the “Affordable Clean Energy” rule, which does not require significant carbon emission reductions. The Trump administration finalized this rule in July 2019.
The oral arguments were heard today at 6:30 a.m. in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
“Washington state is fighting this disgraceful rule mere weeks after catastrophic smoke and fires, fueled by climate change, choked our lungs and burned entire towns. There is no excuse for the Trump administration’s shameful refusal to limit carbon pollution and protect Americans from the escalating dangers of the climate crisis,” Inslee said. “We in Washington know that the path forward is clean, not dirty, electricity. The federal government has a legal and moral responsibility to keep our families safe from dirty and polluted air. I am grateful to Attorney General Ferguson and his team for their work to hold the president accountable for his unacceptable failure.”
Inslee, Ferguson joint statement:
“Attorneys from our multistate coalition will be in court today challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful attempts to roll back the Clean Power Plan. The Trump administration’s new ‘Affordable Clean Energy’ rule is neither affordable nor clean. It’s a thinly veiled attempt to loosen restrictions on coal power plants. It incentivizes the continued use of coal-fired power and does nothing to address carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants, or address climate change. The administration’s own analysis shows that the increased air pollution and carbon emissions allowed under this plan will injure or kill thousands of additional people across the country. Trump’s EPA has a track record of pandering to fossil fuel industry interests at the expense of human health and the environment, and it shows: Washington has won seven cases challenging the EPA’s shortsighted decisions. We look forward to seeing them in court again. We will continue fighting for clean air for all Washingtonians.”