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Benishek off mark

To the Journal editor:

U.S. Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Crystal Falls, says the EPA’s Clean Power Plan is a tax and will force us to choose between food and utility bills.

That is just nuts and does a deep disservice to his constituents. Just as it took action to clean pollution from our rivers, only this kind of action will reduce carbon pollution in our air.

Power plants are the largest source of CO2 emissions in the U.S. Fully implemented, the CPP will reduce emissions by the equivalent of 166 million cars.

We are already paying for allowing power plants to freely use our air as a waste dump. Payback on the plan should actually reduce average utility bills by $85 per year and return about $4 in health benefits (premature deaths, asthma and heart attacks, hospitalizations) for families for each dollar invested.

This also addresses the accumulating effects of global warming.

The CPP gives each state the flexibility to develop an action plan consistent with local needs and conditions and actually grow new jobs in refitting existing power plants and supporting renewable energy development.

I encourage Dr. Dan to reconsider his position on this important initiative.

John Forslin

Sands Township

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