Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to speak about the President's misguided plan to reduce carbon emissions from existing powerplants, specifically the impact it is going to have on my home State, South Dakota. Over the last year, EPA has claimed its rule will grant States flexibility to meet burdensome emission reduction targets. However, there is really only one way for South Dakota to meet its staggering target of a 35-percent reduction; that is, by effectively shutting down Big Stone Plant, our only baseload coal-fired plant, which will soon be among the cleanest in the country. The plant, which provides affordable power to thousands in South Dakota and neighboring States, is nearing completion of a $384 million environmental upgrade project to meet the EPA's regional haze and Utility MACT regulations. So as you can see, highlighted on this poster by a Watertown public opinion op-ed headline, the clean powerplant would threaten this significant investment. The EPA has required this nearly $400 million upgrade--which is more than the original cost, the entire original cost of the plant itself-- and is now turning around and saying: That is not enough. We want it shut down. Let me repeat that. The EPA has required a $384 million environmental upgrade to make the plant among the cleanest in the country and now wants to put all that to waste. This isn't right, and this will stick South Dakotans with holding the bill.…”