Democrats Demand Federal Probe Into Oil, Gas Industry Over ‘Life-Threatening Environmental Justice Issue’ – By Thomas Catenacci (Daily Caller) / December 21, 2021
A group of House Democrats from New York called for a federal investigation Tuesday into the role “peaker” power plants have in contributing to air pollution.
The three Democrats led by Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a federal watchdog, to probe how peaker plants are more harmful and generally used more frequently in low-income communities. Other Oversight Committee members, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Yvette Clarke, a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, were also signatories on the letter.
“Addressing the use of peaker plants, which can emit twice the carbon and up to 20 times the nitrous oxides of a typical plant while operating significantly less efficiently, represents a high-impact opportunity to reduce climate risks and tackle a life-threatening environmental justice issue,” the New York Democrats wrote to GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro.
“We request GAO’s assistance in reporting on key data to assess damage, uncover health burdens, calculate economic costs, and identify alternative solutions to the use of peaker power plants,” they wrote.
