EPA Poised to Regulate CO2

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is preparing to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, a milestone in the country’s fight to slow global warming, The New York Times reports. Obama administration officials told the Times that the administrator of the EPA, Lisa P. Jackson, is expected to soon issue a so-called “endangerment” finding saying that carbon dioxide is a pollutant that endangers public health and should therefore be regulated under the Clean Air Act. Scientists are now studying the issue and Jackson hinted that she might issue a finding by April 2, the second anniversary of a U.S. Supreme Court decision ordering the EPA to decide if CO2 should be regulated; the Bush administration essentially ignored the order. If Jackson issues an endangerment finding, it could take two years to begin regulating CO2 emissions, an action that would face widespread opposition from industry and politicians. Meanwhile, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he hopes the Senate will soon pass a law setting a national standard requiring that certain quantities of renewable energy be produced in the country. He said the Senate could begin debating climate change legislation this summer.