Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has filed a lawsuit over new federal clean air regulations.

Schmidt filed the lawsuit Monday to block the Environmental Protection Agency from implementing the new rules.

The EPA says the new regulations are designed to reduce power plant air pollution that blows across state lines. It seeks to limit sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide from the plants.

Schmidt said the regulations will require Kansas utilities to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in new emissions control equipment by Jan. 1.

He says it will be impossible for utilities to comply, and that means either Kansans will be paying higher rates or there won't be enough electricity to meet Kansas demand.