You may have seen the story in Lee Newspapers about folks in Polson now looking at facing a 300% increase in their water and sewer rates. Well, it all points back at the EPA. But is there something the state can do about it? And, is this a major problem for several other towns in Montana? Must-hear audio with Andrew Brekke, the President of The Havre City Council can be found by listening to the 2nd half of Thursday’s Voices of Montana. Click here for the audio.
Plus, beyond just sewer and water rate hikes forced by the EPA (and a state government that gives them a blank check) what about your electricity rates?
Ron Catlett with Montana Media Trackers highlights my interview with former Congresswoman JoAnn Emerson (R-MO), who now leads the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).
Montana Media Trackers- NRECA President: EPA Regs Hurt Poor Power Customers
Emerson told Flint that controversial EPA regulations seeking to reduce carbon emissions from US power plants by 30 percent would lead to increased electricity prices nationwide and hurt, in particular, vulnerable rural customers in states like Montana.
“Our rural electric customers are traditionally older, we represent a lot of retired folks who are living on fixed incomes, and the opportunities to grow your income are much less than you’d find in an urban area,” she continued.
“While the administration has been touting this idea of helping people have more equal incomes, the flies right in the face of all this ‘let’s help folks who don’t have enough and give them more,’ but you’re actually requiring them to pay more in order to have the same benefits as other people in other parts of the country,” Emerson said.
You can find a link to the show audio by reading Catlett’s full report.
The website Emerson is pointing everyone to: www.TellEPA.com