On the recordFebruary 11, 2011
Madam Speaker, red tape, the EPA, government regulations. When I travel my district, these words come up over and over again. These are not words of encouragement; these are words of frustration. Small businesses across Arizona are struggling to keep their doors open because government will not get out of the way. Enough is enough. Now is the time to make changes that will empower our Nation and put our people back to work. Take, for example, the Navajo Generating Station in my district. They have state-of-the-art technology that makes them one of the cleanest coal power plants in the country. Yet, the EPA says this technology is not good enough. Out-of-touch bureaucrats at the EPA are threatening over 500 high-paying jobs in my district, over 80 percent of which go to the Navajo Nation, where unemployment is approaching 60 percent. The plant provides power to the major cities of Arizona and 95 percent of the power to the Central Arizona Project's canal, which in turn delivers 45 percent of the city of Phoenix's projected water demand and 80 percent of Tucson's projected water demand. The EPA's attempt to shut down the Navajo Generating Station will put Arizona's water and energy security at risk. What is worse, the Navajo Generating Station is willing to comply with the EPA, yet the EPA is imposing timelines that no businesses can reasonably meet. Why, you may ask? Because the EPA is more concerned with their agenda than they are about the people of Arizona.…





