Against new regulations

To the Editor:

As many may know by now, the Environmental Protection Agency is attempting to implement another round of painful energy regulations.

As a business owner, energy is already a significant part of our operating costs as it is.

Due to the new EPA standards, which will not allow for new coal facilities or coal facility upgrades, those costs will become an even larger share of our budget.

In Indiana, our energy is largely produced from coal. Around 89 percent of electricity in Indiana is produced from coal. Additionally, the coal industry provides electric power to approximately 2.4 million homes and 129,000 businesses in Indiana.

There is no denying it: Hoosier energy rates and our economy are directly correlated to coal and the limitations put on the industry.

The EPA's new effort to regulate energy production will do nothing short of cost Hoosier jobs and any momentum our economy has. The additional costs saddled upon businesses in Indiana would strip operating budgets of money that could be used for additional hires.

This is not to mention the job loss in coal-related work.

The Indiana economy cannot afford these regulations now. That is why I intend to raise awareness about these actions and have already submitted a letter to Governor Mike Pence on the issue.

I hope you will join me in this fight for Indiana's jobs and economy.

Jon Ford,

Terre Haute