Americans for Prosperity, the Koch-funded advocacy group, is relentless in its pursuit of an extreme anti-regulation agenda, including basic protections for air, land and water. AFP has attempted to incite opposition to environmental protections.
AFP opposes Environmental Protection Agency regulations on toxic mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, on the grounds that they serve to “needlessly devastate the coal industry,” without regard for the damage that these toxic emissions may be doing to the communities in which the plants are located.
Through their funding of AFP and its extreme anti-environmental protection agenda, the Koch brothers have signaled that corporate profits come first before the well being of our communities and environment.
AFP: “Policies That Strengthen The Economy And Support Free-Market Principles Have Done Far More To Advance Environmental And Conservation Goals Over The Years Than Any Restrictive Government Regulation.” According to Americans for Prosperity Foundation, “Some conservatives worry that sustainable development is just a disguise for a larger scheme to adopt radical environmentalism, wealth redistribution, or some form of ‘world government’ through local initiatives. But whether this is true is largely irrelevant: regardless of the underlying motives and regardless of the source, the policies themselves prove to be an affront to property rights and harmful to the American economy. To those who favor economic freedom and limited government, this alone is grounds for concern. […] The goals of ‘sustainable development’ are in many cases laudable: protecting the environment and being good stewards of our country’s land and resources are indeed important. But what conservative activists must remember is that policies that strengthen the economy and support free-market principles have done far more to advance environmental and conservation goals over the years than any restrictive government regulation.” [Americans For Prosperity, March 2012]
AFP: “Mercury Regulations For Coal Plants Are Still Neither Appropriate Nor Necessary.” According to Americans for Prosperity Foundation, “Twenty-two years after the EPA’s original mandate to study the effects of mercury emissions from power plants, mercury regulations for coal plants are still neither appropriate nor necessary. The Utility MACT rule will needlessly devastate the coal industry in this country, taking thousands of jobs, reliable electricity, and billions of dollars with it. Thankfully, the EPA has not fared well in the courts this year, making a win by the 24 state attorney generals a real possibility.” [Americans For Prosperity, September 2012]
AFP Opposed Use of Clean Water Act to Prohibit Activities In Wetlands. According to AFP: “The Clean Water Act (CWA) was enacted in 1972 to “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity” of the nation’s rivers, lakes, and streams. But for years federal regulators have used the CWA to relentlessly expand their reach over both land and water use. One particularly controversial example is the use of the CWA’s Section 404, which covers wetlands.” [Americans for Prosperity, February 2012]
AFP Opposes Regional Haze Rule. According to AFP: The 1977 amendments to the Clean Air Act expanded the statute’s scope to include haze and visibility impairments at federal National Parks and Wilderness Areas. Haze is caused by both natural and man-made air particulates that absorb or reflect sunlight, obscuring visibility. Since haze is an aesthetic issue—not a health issue— Congress very clearly and explicitly gave states the authority to design visibility regulations and assign values to aesthetic benefits. States submit their proposed regulations to the Environmental Protection Agency, which in turn enforces the submitted proposals. Recently, the EPA has side-stepped the states and used regional haze plans to target coal and other carbon-based fuel energy producers, implementing costlier and more stringent regulations.. [Americans for Prosperity, May 2013]