To defer compliance with the Supreme Court's demand, the White House has walked a tortured policy path, editing its officials' congressional testimony, refusing to read documents prepared by career employees and approved by top appointees, requesting changes in computer models to lower estimates of the benefits of curbing carbon dioxide, and pushing narrowly drafted legislation on fuel-economy standards that officials said was meant to sap public interest in wider regulatory action.
The decision to solicit further comment overrides the EPA's written recommendation from December. Officials said a few senior White House officials were unwilling to allow the EPA to state officially that global warming harms human welfare. Doing so would legally trigger sweeping regulatory requirements under the 45-year-old Clean Air Act, one of the pillars of U.S. environmental protection, and would cost utilities, automakers and others billions of dollars while also bringing economic benefits, EPA's analyses found.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Bush administration fails on air pollution
According to the Washington Post, the EPA will not act on emissions this year. In spite of the public demand and the order of the Supreme Court, the Bush administration has decided not to take any new steps to regulate greenhouse gas emissions before the president leaves office. Instead the EPA will seek added comments on possible regulation for several more months.
Labels:
Bush Administration,
Environment
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