On the recordMarch 15, 2016
In the last Congress, I merely attempted to exempt these facilities from MATS compliance with SO<INF>2</INF> and HCl. Building upon my efforts, Senators Toomey and Casey from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania offered a bipartisan amendment providing similar treatment for these plants within the context of both MATS and CSAPR. While this proposal was supported by a bipartisan majority of Senators, it failed to achieve the supermajority necessary to pass. What we are looking to achieve today is much narrower and far more limited than our effort in the last Congress, which received bipartisan support. This should not be a controversial or bipartisan issue. We want to hold this industry to high standards, but standards they can actually achieve. My bill will help keep the coal refuse industry in business so that the local community, economy, and environment will continue to reap the benefits. The people who live near coal refuse piles and all of the communities downstream of these hazards expect us to find a solution. I thank the chairman for his time and cooperation with this vital piece of legislation.
