This is an Article Pertinant to MD, Verbatum

March 19, 2008, 1:23PM
Md. Global Warming Bill Delayed

By KRISTEN WYATT Associated Press Writer
© 2008 The Associated Press

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A bill to slash Maryland’s carbon emissions as a way to address global warming was delayed Wednesday by senators who feared the bill could hike energy prices and put factories out of business.

The bill would require Maryland to cut carbon emissions 25 percent. Measured from 2006 levels, the emission cuts would have to be met by 2025.

Supporters say much of the reduction could come from laws already enacted, such as tougher rules for power plant emissions and a requirement for cleaner-burning cars. But they acknowledge further reductions would be needed to address global warming, and that improvements to factories or businesses could be required.

The potential for job losses, or higher power bills as consumers pay to upgrade power plants, stopped the bill’s progress Wednesday.

“It would not be in the best interest of anybody in Maryland,” said Sen. Donald Munson, R-Washington, who said jobs would be lost because factories would not be able to reduce carbon emissions and comply.

Supporters insist the bill has already been changed to protect industry. For example, the bill originally included a carbon cut of 90 percent by 2050 _ a cut that would have been the nation’s deepest _ but that requirement was changed to a goal.

Sponsors said regardless of job losses, the carbon reductions could impact Maryland.

“If we don’t get this under control by 2050, we all ought to get snorkels,” said Sen. Paul Pinsky, D-Prince George’s.

Senators decided to put off debate until Thursday. Several Democrats said they want to make sure the bill won’t cost jobs unnecessarily or lead to power blackouts.

One of the bill’s sponsors, Democratic Sen. Norman Stone of Baltimore County, said he planned to take his name off the bill. Stone’s district includes the Sparrows Point steel mill near Baltimore, where workers say the global warming bill could shut the plant down.

Several dozen steelworkers watching the Senate debate cheered the decision to delay debate.

“This is just something that’s too hard for the industry to implement,” said John Schriefer, a Bel Air resident who is a safety coordinator at the steel plant.

Supporters of the bill dispute arguments that manufacturing jobs will leave Maryland if carbon caps are adopted.

“Once again, the unfortunate story here is that the opposition has boiled this down to the environment against jobs,” said Kim Coble, Maryland director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which supports carbon caps and calls global warming a major threat the bay.

Coble hoped the bill would eventually win approval in the Senate, but she worried economic concerns would persuade lawmakers not to go for it. “Unfortunately, I think it’s a tactic to kill the bill,” Coble said.

Pinsky has argued that already the bill has been watered down to satisfy industry. Along with taking off the 2050 requirement, the bill requires state environmental regulators to phase in its implementation. The bill also says companies have a chance to argue technology doesn’t exist or is too expensive for them to install and stay in business.

Pinsky tried to persuade his colleagues that the bill could end up boosting employment as so-called “green-collar” jobs spring up to find ways to reduce carbon emissions blamed for climate change.

Debate was to resume Thursday. A similar version of the bill is pending in the House, and the measure has the backing of Gov. Martin O’Malley.