The Transport Rule and Delaware

The News Journal has a story today on the EPA's new Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, also called the Transport Rule, that targets power plants that emit pollutants that affect the air in downwind states. Because so much pollution wafts into Delaware from sources to our west, compliance with Clean Air Act standards becomes impossible.

This contributor to the Huffington Post noted DNREC Secretary Collin O'Mara's testimony to a hearing Senator Tom Carper held on the topic:

O’Mara summed it up with one sentence: “This imbalance allows upwind states to enjoy a competitive advantage for economic development, particularly in the recruitment and retention of manufacturing firms, while the downwind states are forced to deal with the consequences economically and environmentally.”

Upwind states that burn coal enjoy cheaper electricity rates while sending the pollution eastward to Delaware, where it causes billions in health and mortality costs. Because of the lack of fossil fuels and the congested grid, Delaware pays more for its power. Delaware has to pay the costs of cleaning up local sources of pollution, and still doesn't meet clean air standards. We need to promote renewables, reduce our reliance on out of state energy and press for fair enforcement of the Clean Air Act to overcome these disadvantages.