e360 digest
17 Apr 2009:
EPA Issues Ruling
That Greenhouse Gases Must Be Regulated
Lisa P. Jackson, the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has declared that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and must be regulated under the Clean Air Act. The historic “endangerment finding” marks the first time that the U.S. government will seek to limit the emissions of the gases that cause global warming. Jackson said the evidence of the harm caused by the gases was “compelling and overwhelming,” and called greenhouse gas pollution “a serious problem now and for future generations.” The announcement triggers a 60-day comment period before any proposed rules are published. The EPA’s action comes as Congress is set to debate legislation that would limit — and place a price on — carbon emissions, and the Obama administration has said it prefers to address the problem through legislation, not EPA action. Jackson’s ruling will almost certainly add momentum to Congress’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, as industry would prefer to have Congress control CO2 emissions rather than face more severe administrative action from the EPA. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that the EPA had the right to control greenhouse gases, but the Bush administration took no action.
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