East Coast Guvs Call Out Rust Belt For Pollution: ‘They’re Getting Away With Murder’

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, second from right, gestures at the conclusion of a legislation signing ceremony as Jackie and Mark Barden, left and second from left respectively, parents of Sandy Hook shooting vic... Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, second from right, gestures at the conclusion of a legislation signing ceremony as Jackie and Mark Barden, left and second from left respectively, parents of Sandy Hook shooting victim Daniel Barden, and Neil Heslin, right, father of Sandy Hook shooting victim Jesse Lewis, right, look on at the Capitol in Hartford, Conn., Thursday, April 4, 2013. The legislation signed by Malloy adds more than 100 firearms to the state's assault weapons ban, sets eligibility rules for buying ammunition, and creates what officials have called the nation's first dangerous weapon offender registry. MORE LESS

By Tom Kludt

December 9, 2013 2:35 a.m.

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Eight Democratic governors representing states on the East Coast intend to petition the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday in an effort to curb pollution in states located in the Midwest and Rust Belt, the New York Times reported.

The governors are aiming to crack down on pollution in regions of the country dominated by coal plants and factories and where environmental regulations tend to be lax.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D), who is leading the effort, said that the pollution from those states invariably affects people in other states.

“I care about this because it’s put Connecticut at an economic disadvantage,” Malloy told the Times. “We’re paying a lot of money to remove these compounds from the air. That money is reflected in higher energy costs. We’re more than willing to pay that, but the states we’re petitioning should have to follow the same rules.”

“They’re getting away with murder,” Malloy added. “Only it’s in our state, not theirs.”

The Supreme Court this week will hear arguments on the Obama administration’s regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions, including the so-called “good neighbor” rule requiring states to reduce coal pollution that drifts into other states.

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Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) Tom Kludt is a reporter for Talking Points Memo based in New York City, covering media and national affairs. Originally from South Dakota, Tom joined TPM as an intern in late-2011 and became a staff member during the 2012 election. He can be reached at tom@talkingpointsmemo.com.

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