National Mining Association (NMA) President and CEO Hal Quinn issued the following statement in support of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member James Inhofe’s (R-Okla.) Energy Tax Prevention Act, which was offered Thursday as an amendment to S. 493, The SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011.  The amendment would block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from large stationary sources.

“EPA’s ill-considered regulation, if left unchallenged, will drive up electricity costs for consumers and basic industry and set back efforts to create jobs and economic opportunity.  That’s why this amendment is necessary.  It will protect hundreds of thousands of households and businesses that rely heavily on coal-based generation for affordable electricity.  It provides clear certainty to manufacturing industries and power companies reluctant to expand capacity or their workforce out of the understandable fear of higher costs from EPA’s regulatory mandates and impractical compliance deadlines.

“Congress, reflecting the wishes of the American people, has repeatedly rejected a course of action that EPA insists on pursuing when less damaging options for continuing the nation’s environmental progress are readily available.  This measure puts elected representatives back in charge and common sense back in government.  It removes a major threat to economic recovery and an obstacle to achieving more balanced solutions to the country’s energy and environmental needs.”