Murkowski to EPA: Alaskans Concerned over "Reputation for Abuse"
Senator Questions Regulatory Agency Head over Federal Overreach
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Senator Lisa Murkowski today took the opportunity of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson’s Senate committee appearance to share the concerns of many Alaskans over federal overreach. Jackson fielded questions about the EPA’s 2013 budget before the U.S. Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee, where Murkowski is the ranking Republican.
“A Reputation for Abuse” – Washington Post
Senator Murkowski opened her remarks by pointing out a recent editorial in the Washington Post, echoing the concerns of many Alaskans, that some within the EPA are acting in an “unduly severe” fashion to make sure people are complying with regulations, saying these “statements seem consistent with the fears that many of my constituents and I have about the EPA: That it can be sometimes arrogant and use arbitrary enforcement or permitting requirements, which in turn discourages the market from investing in critical projects.”
(Senator Murkowski's opening statement to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson)
Administrator Jackson assured Senator Murkowski that she will work with her on a “laundry list” of Alaskan regulatory concerns, including the risk that new emission restrictions on marine vessels could increase the cost of living for Alaskans who rely on freight shipments by as much as 20 percent.
Among the other Alaska issues Senator Murkowski raised: (click links for video)
- The Bristol Bay watershed assessment
- Cruise ship emissions
- Hydraulic fracturing in natural gas development
- Fairbanks air emissions
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