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Congressman Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) questioned a panel of Texan energy, environmental, and farming experts today at a Science, Space, and Technology Committee hearing on EPA overregulation of Texas.   You can view the exchange here.

“Under the current Administration, the EPA is overstepping its authority and using a “one-size-fits-all” approach to environmental regulation. And Texas seems to be the EPA’s favorite target.  

“The federal government is supposed to set broad standards – like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act – and then give states the flexibility to design and implement rules to meet these federal guidelines using their regional expertise. 

“Unfortunately, the EPA has chosen to pursue a top-down, big-government Washington agenda that ignores local concerns. By infringing on our local authority and disregarding sound science that doesn’t fit EPA’s agenda, the agency is stifling economic growth and causing very real harm to Texas farmers, ranchers, and industry.”

Neugebauer also asked state officials to give their assessment on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology, which the EPA’s proposed rules would essentially require at new power plants.

“Over the past 6 months, my colleagues and I have repeatedly questioned the EPA about their conclusion that CCS technology is commercially available – or “adequately demonstrated.” Texas regulators testified today that this technology is simply not commercially viable.  Not a single full-scale plant operates with this technology, and the projects operating partial-CCS rely heavily on federal funding.  It’s clear that EPA is rushing to impose CCS on new coal plants despite the fact that the science doesn’t back this agenda. 

“Instead of going after Texas and pushing an overreaching agenda from Washington, the EPA needs to start focusing on sound science and let states take the lead in protecting their own backyard.”