These reforms will finally deliver on a long overdue promise to all Americans.

I think that is something we could--I mean, my understanding of your testimony is that there are four things you kind of like.

The legislation we consider today sets out a new approach.

It was a very compelling argument, a very successful argument.

There is some optimism, I think, that there is some common ground that can be found.

Isn't that preferable than fighting through the courts and having citizen suits across the country?

The long and short of it is Congress is perfectly capable of establishing a standard of protection for coal ash.

No immediate hazard, and the EPA went on record as saying that?

I think dams are obviously in context well beyond coal ash disposal sites, but the structural integrity of dams, I am not a dam expert--d-a-m--but those things are evaluated by states.

I think the discussion draft basically identifies a base standard, and I think it is pretty clear.

Thank you, and Mr. Cobb, I wanted to ask, as another experienced state regulator, do you think states are able to interpret the minimum program requirements in the bill to develop a permit program that is protective of human health and the…

We believe that legislation would help you all deal with the pending CCR deadline.

And if there is, obviously, abuse, which I think some people fear, don't you think that the public would be aghast and may want to take retribution on politicians and those who have been appointed as commissioners of the environmental…

So for the public, moving on legislation could actually create a quicker standard of protection versus waiting for a process going through your due diligence?

States have the same concerns about protecting the environment and contrary to some of the things you might hear today, states establish and carry out a standard of protection through their environmental permitting programs.

We all wanted to prevent taxes from going up on middle-class workers.

Isn't it better for facilities to operate under an enforceable permit instead of a self-implementing regulation?

We are pretty close on how we need to get to where we need to get to, and we just want to continue to work with you.