New Hampshire politicians from both sides of the aisle are praisinga decision from the US Supreme Court upholding the right of EPA to regulate air pollution that crosses state borders.
The so-called “good neighbor” provision could mean Appalachian and Rust-Belt states will have to clean up their coal plants. The Northeast has already scrubbed the emissions from its power plants, but still endures low air-quality days in part because of emissions blowing in on the Jetstream from western states.
Governor Hassan said in a statementthat it’s estimated to cost between ten and forty thousand dollars to take a ton of pollution out of the air in New England, but only $500 dollars a ton further upwind.
Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte also applauded the ruling; Shaheen saidthe “whole country must move toward clean energy” and Ayotte wroteshe is “pleased that the rule will move forward.”
The ruling means utilities in states like Ohio and Kentucky will likely need to install pollution controls or to shut down power plants to meet EPA standards. They have argued the cost of compliance is too high.
In December, New Hampshire joined seven other statespetitioning the EPA to ask upwind states to clean up their emissions.
