Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., introduced a House Resolution on October 8th declaring that Congress recommends that the EPA hold the NSPS hearing in states "most directly impacted by the potential regulations."
"Failing to have a listening session in West Virginia on a rule targeting the use of coal at our existing power plants is absolutely wrong," Capito said. "Excluding all of the states that rely on coal the most from the listening process smacks of outright arrogance by the agency and is a transparent attempt to avoid hearing opinions that differ from the EPA's preconceived ideas."
The resolution calls for additional listening sessions in states with the highest percentage of electricity generated by burning coal in 2012: West Virginia, Kentucky, Wyoming, Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Utah, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, Montana and Wisconsin.
Representatives from West Virginia, Kentucky, Wyoming, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and other states co-sponsored the resolution.
The listening sessions are scheduled in locations where the EPA has regional offices: Boston; Philadelphia; New York; Atlanta; Denver; Lenexa, Kan.; San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; Dallas; Seattle; and Chicago. Similar dissatisfaction was expressed in the past when the EPA decided to host hearings exclusively at or near its regional headquarters.
The EPA, partially affected by the government shutdown, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its flexibility in adding listening sessions to its schedule.