August 16, 2013     Jenni Hamilton 300 W Locust St Plattsburg, Missouri 64477   Dear Jenni:   Thank you for contacting me regarding presidential and legislative efforts to combat air pollution and climate change, and regulate greenhouse gas emissions. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.   The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a plan to more heavily regulate greenhouse gases from new fossil fuel-based electric generating sources, like coal fired power plants. By the EPA's own admission, such an action will effectively ensure these plants are not built in this country in the future, as it would increase the cost of electricity generated from a coal plant by 80%. This is part of a larger scheme to eliminate the use of coal in America, and it puts us on a dangerous course.   Missouri uses coal to power 82% of our electricity, and we enjoy some of the most reliable and affordable power in the nation. The EPA's new rule threatens this balance, and will result in less jobs and more expensive energy. I recently joined with Senator Blunt and four of my House colleagues from Missouri in bringing these concerns to the President's attention. We asked that his Administration consider amending the proposed rule and instead employ an approach that doesn't harm Missouri's economy or electricity supply.    Agencies must do more to reduce unnecessary red tape and paperwork to ensure that Americans can compete in a global economy, not increase poorly written new regulations that threaten to eliminate livelihoods in Missouri and across the country.    Under the United States Clean Air Act, enacted by Congress, the EPA was given the responsibility of monitoring and regulating greenhouse gasses. This responsibility was reinforced in the 2007 Supreme Court case, Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency where the Supreme Court ruled that the EPA had violated the Clean Air Act by not regulating greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles on the basis of their possible climate change impacts.    Several years ago, the EPA acted upon this authority by issuing an "endangerment finding" for greenhouse gases. Title V of the Clean Air Act requires any entity emitting more than 100 tons of a regulated pollutant in a year must obtain a permit in order to operate. I have serious concerns about these regulations, which are still in place today. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, any farm or ranch with more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle or 200 hogs emits more than 100 tons of carbon equivalents per year. This regulation could negatively affect over 90 percent of dairy, beef, and pork production in the United States. Our farmers face more than enough challenges without the burden of additional government regulations.    Although we may disagree on this particular issue, I hope you can respect the sincerity of my views as I do yours. Regardless, please know that I will give careful consideration to any legislation that seeks to address the issues of environmental air pollution and climate change. Please feel free to contact me at (202) 225-7041 should you have further questions or concerns or visit my website at www.graves.house.gov.

Sincerely,    Sam Graves    Member of Congress