While the Environmental Protection Agency grinds ahead with its Clean Air Act regulations to force reductions of carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on a different energy conservation program introduced by EPA the under the same law. Whether you are conscious of it or not, you have probably seen the logo for the Energy Star program stuck on a refrigerator, dishwasher or some other consumer product. The logo means the government has deemed the product to be relatively energy efficient. However, just …
Let’s wait until the economy recovers a little before we step on it with costly environmental regulations. That was the message from Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson in a response to eight Democratic senators from industrial coal states the authority of the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases. Administrator Jackson said by April she will “take actions to ensure that no stationary source will be required to get a Clean Air Act permit to cover its greenhouse gas emissions in calendar year 2010.” As the Clean Air Act is …
The Environmental Protection Agency’s endangerment finding states that greenhouse gases, most significantly carbon dioxide, are a dangerous pollutant and need to be regulated under the Clean Air Act. While the finding itself does not regulate carbon dioxide, it commences a long process to curb greenhouse gas emissions, beginning with tailpipe emissions this March and later expanding to all types of business. Those who want to challenge the EPA’s endangerment finding have until February 16th to file a petition in the in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. On December 23rd, …
The Washington Post asks Heritage analyst Ben Lieberman: “Do you think EPA’s finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health will prod Congress to agree on its own method for limiting emissions? If not, what do you think would be the environmental and economic impact of the EPA regulations? Will this convince other countries that the U.S. is likely to make deep cuts in carbon in the near future?” Lieberman responds: It says a lot that the only global warming policy with legs right now is the one least subject to …
Politico reports: In hearings before the Senate Environment and Public Works committee Tuesday, several moderate Democrats expressed concerns that the EPA is jumping the gun in mandating new curbs on greenhouse gas emissions across a slew of industries. … EPA estimates that 14,000 major polluters would need to get the permits. Small business, farms, restaurants and other small businesses would be exempt from the regulations. Several Democrats said in Tuesday’s hearings that they would like to include language in the legislation that would stop the EPA form implementing a 2007 …
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving forward with micromanaging regulations that would regulate greenhouse gases and slow economic growth. However, one judge is warning the EPA not to overstep its legal authority. Judge David Tatel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia told a forum: “[…] agencies choose their policy first and then later seek to defend its legality. This gets it entirely backwards. It’s backwards because whether or not agencies value neutral principles of administrative law, courts do, and they will strike down …
Last week, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced an amendment to the Interior Department appropriations bill that would have withheld federal funds for some 18 “czars” appointed by the Obama administration and not confirmed by the Senate. “There is no careful Senate examination of their character and qualifications. And we are speaking here of some of the most senior positions within our government,” Collins told USA Today. Senate Democrats went on to kill Collins’ amendment using a procedural tactic which “deeply disappointed” Collins. It is a shame the Collins amendment was …
Two competing solar power companies, Ausra and BrightSource Energy, recently filed plans to build plants in the California desert. Both firms’ plans affected wildlife habitat. But only Ausra’s plans were hit with complaints demanding expensive and cumbersome environmental studies. The reason? Ausra had rejected demands that it use only union workers to build its solar farm, while BrightSource pledged to hire labor-friendly contractors. As the New York Times reports today, big labor is using California’s environmental regulations to shake down power companies trying to build new plants in the state: …
We’re fast approaching the deadline for the Environmental Protection Agency’s ruling on whether or not the agency will regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. While the ruling would just be the first step in a process that could take years before settled, sing the Clean Air Act to regulate CO2 would likely be the most expensive and expansive environmental regulation in history and will bypass the legislative process completely. EPA’s unprecedented regulatory regime would:
Do you eat, sleep or pray? If so, then the Obama Administration wants to monitor, regulate and tax you. According to federal records only published yesterday, this past Friday the Environmental Protection Agency submitted a proposed rule to the White House that finds carbon dioxide to be a danger to public health pursuant to the Clean Air Act. One might wonder how a substance so natural that it is passing through your lungs and out your nose right now could be declared a threat to “the public’s health and welfare,” …
