Sen. Hassan Issues Statement on Repeal of Clean Power Plan

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The office of Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration's proposal to repeal the Clean Power Plan:

The Clean Power Plan set the first-ever national limits for power plants that release harmful carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that the Clean Power Plan would prevent 90,000 pediatric asthma attacks and 3,600 premature deaths each year once fully implemented:

"As a downwind state, much of New Hampshire's air pollution comes from coal plants in other states. The Trump Administration is giving coal plants free rein to pollute our air at the expense of our economy, our quality of life, and the health of New Hampshire citizens, especially our children.

"Unfortunately, this backward policy is no surprise given that President Trump put a fossil fuel lobbyist in charge of developing it. As climate change continues to impact communities across New Hampshire, this giant step backward from the administration will put the health and safety of our people at risk, hurt our long-term economic growth, and threaten the beautiful natural resources that help define us as a state. I will continue fighting for a cleaner environment and stronger renewable energy future that reduces our dependence on fossil fuels and helps our people, businesses, and economy thrive."

Senator Hassan has long fought to protect natural resources and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Recently, Senator Hassan successfully led efforts to get the Trump Administration to stop blocking the release of an important study about the health impacts of chemicals in drinking water. Senator Hassan also spoke recently on the Senate floor about the urgent need to act to combat climate change, and introduced a bill to create a national study on net metering, which would help support the growth of clean energy and work to reduce the release of toxic emissions into the air.