Pence praises Supreme Court ruling on power plant emissions

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Republican Gov. Mike Pence is praising the Supreme Court ruling against the Obama administration’s attempt to limit power plant emissions of hazardous air pollutants including mercury.

Indiana was among the state petitioners in one of three appeals that the court ruled on Monday.

Pence said the administration’s approach of placing environmental concerns above all others has been costly to Indiana in a statement released on Monday:

Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a victory for Indiana and for Hoosiers. For too long, the repercussions of costly regulations and federal overreach have been overlooked in Washington, where the Administration’s approach to energy policy has placed environmental concerns above all others. However, as Governor, I can confidently say the financial and economic impact of these policies are detrimental to Hoosier families and businesses alike here in Indiana.

“With today’s ruling in mind, I reaffirm my call for the Environmental Protection Agency to develop and implement energy policies that strike the proper balance between the health of the environment and the health of the economy. Only then can we ensure the safe and responsible stewardship of our natural resources and meet our shared goal of reliable, affordable energy.

However, an environmentalist says the ruling may have only a limited impact in Indiana.

Jodi Perras (PEHR’-es), Indiana representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, says most Indiana utilities already have decided how they’ll meet the pollution rule and only a few coal-powered plants operate without such pollution controls.

Perras said the Obama administration needs to propose a revised rule that restores at least the same level of protections.