By John Lyon
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., said today he may rethink his position on a proposed cap-and-trade program in light of the recent Environmental Protection Agency ruling that greenhouse gas emissions are a threat to the public health.
Also today, the chairman and CEO of Entergy Corp. told an audience in Little Rock the EPA has sent a signal to Congress to act on climate change, and U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln said she has concerns about the agency’s ruling.
“I’ve always been reluctant on cap and trade, but it (the EPA ruling) might put that in a different light,” Pryor said in a conference call with reporters. “I’ll just have to look at that and really spend some time reflecting on that and talking to not just colleagues but talking to people who really understand this and see if that does change my view on cap-and-trade.”
The ruling clears the way for the EPA to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act, though Congress could act first by passing legislation on climate control. In June the House passed a bill that includes a cap-and-trade program, in which credits or allowances permitting increases in emissions could be bought and sold between companies.
Pryor said he would rather see regulation of carbon emissions come from Congress than the EPA.
“These are big decisions, decisions that affect our entire economy. We’re probably better off having Congress look at this rather than the EPA,” he said.
In a talk today at the University of Arkansas School of Public Service, Entergy Corp. Chairman and CEO Wayne Leonard said the EPA has sent a message to Congress that it needs to act quickly on climate change.
“If Congress does not act, EPA will. … In fact, they’ve already fired the first shot,” Leonard said.
Entergy supports the House climate change bill. Leonard said those who oppose cap and trade based on free-market principles “are ignoring the fact that … CO2 emissions do have costs. They’re just presently internal, and the only way to get them recognized in the marketplace is through some kind of legislation that forces the market to recognize them.”
Meanwhile, Lincoln said today she has concerns about the EPA’s ruling.
“The most important question we have to answer when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the impact it will have on jobs and the economy. I am concerned that EPA’s endangerment finding — which could potentially lead to broad regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act — will create burdens on American industry without providing any significant environmental benefits,” Lincoln said in a prepared statement.
“I strongly urge EPA to wait for Congress to find a solution that creates jobs, grows our economy, and increases our energy independence, all while having the impact of reducing greenhouse gases,” Lincoln said.
