The Corporations Funding the Lawyers to Fight the Clean Power Plan
Lawyers from coal-dependent states, led by West Virginia, are challenging President Obama's Clean Power Plan.
Joining their effort is an army of industry-funded law firms that
specialize in fighting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Together, they will argue that the EPA does not have any authority under
Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act to issue the carbon regulations;
they will also contest the legality of the "fence line"
used to set state emission targets. Yet, buried in coverage of the
litigation is the fact that the coalition suing the EPA is connected to
some of the largest electric utility companies in the country - and many
have purposefully kept themselves at arms' length so that their
customers never know they are funding lawyers who are working to stop
one of President Obama's main pillars to fight climate change.
Policymakers, regulators, and customers should know what electricity
companies are secretly working together with coal companies to sue the
EPA.
(Image: Business suit; coal smoke via Shutterstock; Edited: JR/TO)
