INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WOWO): Monday afternoon, the State of Indiana submitted comments urging the EPA to withdraw proposed carbon dioxide rules. The following press release was issued regarding the state's remarks: 

Today, the State of Indiana through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Indiana Office of Energy Development, the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging the agency to withdraw its proposed carbon dioxide emission rules.

In a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy that accompanies the comments, Governor Mike Pence calls the proposed rules “ill-conceived and poorly constructed” and cites that they exceed the legal authority granted to the agency under the Clean Air Act.

“Home to the highest concentration of manufacturing jobs in the nation, Indiana depends heavily on coal-burning power plants for reliable and affordable energy,” said Governor Pence. “The U.S. EPA proposal does not strike the proper balance to protect the health of the environment with the health of our economy and our position in the global marketplace. It will impede economic growth and prosperity at a time when we need to promote it.”

Indiana has a 300-year supply of coal with more than 28,000 Hoosiers employed in the industry.

The submitted comments and a letter from Indiana agencies can be viewed in full here.