EPA Administrator declares that CO2 CAN'T be considered for power plants!

With just weeks to go before the Bush administration cedes power, executive orders and regulatory decisions gutting all sorts of federal rules are flying out from Washington. One of the most recent has come from the office of EPA administrator Stephen Johnson. Johnson has decreed that the agency CANNOT consider greenhouse gas emissions in determining whether to grant permits for new power plants. This goes well beyond the Agency's previous neglect of the issue and actively prevents considering this criteria.

This runs directly counter to a Supreme Court ruling in 2007 that the EPA was authorized to regulate carbon dioxide emissions under the clean air act. The Obama transition team has been monitoring rulings such as this in recent months and has promised to reverse any orders it does not agree with. However, there are concerns that some permits could be granted before a repeal is enacted. Thanks to Mike for the tip!

[Source: New York Times]

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