Republicans were backing the bill that – had it succeeded -- would have killed the EPA’s new rules on how much mercury is released into the air at coal-fired power plants.

But it didn’t succeed. And Ohio’s Republican Sen. Rob Portman says that’s too bad. For him, it’s a question of economics. He says the new regulations will shutter power plants such as the one in Avon Lake, and that will hurt local communities.

“This will cost the she school system 11 percent of its budget annually. It will obviously cost some jobs. There are 80 jobs at the plant that are relatively high-paid, good jobs in Ohio. And then (there are) a lot of indirect jobs lost in the community”

But Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown says the choice between economics and environment is a false one, as evidenced by jobs tied to building more efficient cars.

“Clearly good environmental policy can be good jobs policy. And it’s good public health and its good for kids and its good for seniors with bronchial diseases, and it’s time that the Senate and the House caught up with the American public (in) understanding that public health is so important and that we can have jobs and we can have clean air.”

The EPA has spent 20 years developing the standards.