CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Department of Environmental Protection was hoping the federal EPA would extend the comment period on the new Clean Power Rule by 90 days instead of the 45-day extension the agency announced Tuesday.
“While we at DEP appreciate the EPA’s decision to extend the deadline by 45 days, we would prefer a longer extension in order for state regulators and other stakeholders to have ample time to prepare thorough and meaningful responses on a very complicated issue,” DEP Chief Communications Officer Kelley Gillenwater told MetroNews.
The new deadline is Dec. 1.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said back in June when EPA administrator Gina McCarthy announced the proposed rules to cut carbon emissions from existing coal-fired power plants that not a single plant in West Virginia would be in compliance.
DEP Secretary Randy Huffman said at the time the state would be seeking flexibility with the EPA. He said the only coal-fired plant close to the emission levels is the Longview plant near Morgantown. He said unfortunately the technology is currently not in place to reduce the carbon footprint of the other plants if they still want to use coal.
“There is a little bit that can be saved in efficiencies in the plant itself but based on coal combustion technology of today you can’t get there,” Huffman said June 2.
A top EPA official failed to specify Tuesday about the reasons for extending the public comment period to Dec. 1.
“We got a number of requests from a variety of different stakeholders suggesting they would like some additional time. So taking that all into account, we felt it was appropriate to provide that additional time,” EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation Janet McCabe said in a conference call with reporters.
McCabe also said Tuesday 90 days into the original 120-day public comment period the agency had received 775,000 public comments. The agency held four public hearings across the U.S. including one in Pittsburgh.