Acting Environmental Protection Agency head Andrew Wheeler made a swing through Kentucky Friday to promote the Trump administration’s newly-unveiled energy policy overhaul, which grants states more leeway in setting emissions standards for coal-fired power plants.
Fresh off the signing of the administration’s Affordable Clean Energy Rule on Monday, acting EPA Administrator Wheeler appeared alongside 6th District Congressman Andy Barr at Clark Energy in Winchester on Friday.
In opening remarks,Barr echoed colleagues, like Senator Mitch McConnell, who sounded dire warnings about skyrocketing utility costs under the Obama-backed plan.
Pressed on the administration’s own analysis, which suggested the Trump rule could result in up to 1,400 premature deaths a yearby 2030 and as many as 15,000 new cases of upper respiratory problems, Wheeler dismissed the claim, arguing the latest reforms would not roll back current air quality guidelines.
"The air quality is 73 percent cleaner than in the 1970s. The regulations that got us to that point are still in effect. They'll still be in effect tomorrow. They'll still be in effect next year," Wheeler assured. "Those are the health-based air standards. Nothing has been done to impact those."
The administration analysis cited possible increases in fine particular matter linked to heart and lung disease, but EPA officials tell the New York Times other anti-pollution rules could be used to reduce those numbers.
Asked whether the plan could result in increased CO2 emissions, Wheeler told WUKY the EPA examined four projections for the rule, and all show decreasing levels of the greenhouse gas.
"It won't be reduced as quickly as the Clean Power Plan," he acknowledged, noting that the Obama-era reforms were held up in court and the plan "never actually went into effect."
Wheeler took over at the environmental agency after the departure of former EPA administrator and Kentucky native Scott Pruitt.
