EPA Silenced by White House regarding report on Emission Standards
- added June 25, 2008
- 9 responses
-
-
-
- current89
- added this
-
-
- related topics
-
- News and Politics (39633)
- Politics (27992)
- Earth and Science (12557)
- Environment (5601)
- Climate Change (1669)
- Government (1208)
- Nature (755)
The Environmental Protection Agency(E.P.A.) was silenced by the Bush Administration. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee(Chaired by a Democrat) disclosed documents showing that the White House had suppressed the EPA's findings on the impact of vehicle emissions on climate change.
Start of Washington Post article excerpt
White House officials last December sought to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from submitting a proposed rule that would limit greenhouse-gas emissions from new vehicles, agency sources said yesterday. And upon learning that EPA had hit the "send" button just minutes earlier, the White House called again to demand that the e-mail be recalled.
The EPA official who forwarded the e-mail, Associate Deputy Administrator Jason Burnett, refused, said the sources, who insisted on anonymity in order to discuss internal deliberations.
The proposed rule was EPA's response to an April 2007 Supreme Court ruling that the agency had violated the Clean Air Act by refusing to take up the issue of regulating automobile emissions that contribute to global warming.
Burnett, who resigned from the agency this month, sent the e-mail to the White House Office of Management and Budget at 2:17 p.m. Dec. 5 and received the call warning him to hold off at 2:25 p.m., the sources said. The EPA is expected to release a watered-down version of its original proposal within a week, highlighting the extent to which Bush administration officials continue to resist mandatory federal limits on emissions linked to global warming.
Burnett refused to comment on the White House calls but said in an interview, "In early December, I sent an e-mail with the formal finding that action must be taken to address the risk of climate change," adding that he resigned his political appointment because the agency had been stymied in its efforts to respond to the Supreme Court. "The White House made it clear they did not want to address the ramifications of that finding and have decided to leave the challenge to the next administration. Some [at the White House] thought that EPA had mistakenly concluded that climate change endangers the public. It was no mistake."
End of Excerpt
Full Article can be found by Clicking the Image
Start of Washington Post article excerpt
White House officials last December sought to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from submitting a proposed rule that would limit greenhouse-gas emissions from new vehicles, agency sources said yesterday. And upon learning that EPA had hit the "send" button just minutes earlier, the White House called again to demand that the e-mail be recalled.
The EPA official who forwarded the e-mail, Associate Deputy Administrator Jason Burnett, refused, said the sources, who insisted on anonymity in order to discuss internal deliberations.
The proposed rule was EPA's response to an April 2007 Supreme Court ruling that the agency had violated the Clean Air Act by refusing to take up the issue of regulating automobile emissions that contribute to global warming.
Burnett, who resigned from the agency this month, sent the e-mail to the White House Office of Management and Budget at 2:17 p.m. Dec. 5 and received the call warning him to hold off at 2:25 p.m., the sources said. The EPA is expected to release a watered-down version of its original proposal within a week, highlighting the extent to which Bush administration officials continue to resist mandatory federal limits on emissions linked to global warming.
Burnett refused to comment on the White House calls but said in an interview, "In early December, I sent an e-mail with the formal finding that action must be taken to address the risk of climate change," adding that he resigned his political appointment because the agency had been stymied in its efforts to respond to the Supreme Court. "The White House made it clear they did not want to address the ramifications of that finding and have decided to leave the challenge to the next administration. Some [at the White House] thought that EPA had mistakenly concluded that climate change endangers the public. It was no mistake."
End of Excerpt
Full Article can be found by Clicking the Image
-
Photo of E.P.A. Headquarters courtesy Wikipedia. -
Rush says wait til the "science" is conclusive. Why not? it's been working for 8 years.
-
Someday soon maybe integrity will kick in?
-
-
-
-
- Marilynn_Murray
- 3 months ago
-
-
They'll stop at nothing to let big energy companies destroy this planet, as long as they make a buck!
-
This administration is always trying to outdo it's self. What will they do next, destroy the world? I've heard rumors they are working on it.
-
-
-
-
- grease_weasel
- 3 months ago
-
-
grease:
Through environmental de-regulation, war(s), the complete destruction of education, healthcare, etc etc etc etc etc and the war against women's rights, they're WELL on their way.
Don't worry though, flying jeebus is gonna come on down from the sky in (of course all white, what else?) robes of glory and smite all the people of color and fans of rock music...
YEEEHAAAAW! It's rapture time folks! Better give that fat bastard on TV your 10%!
fuck. -
Rapture my asp.
The demonic fools in the Whitehouse got it all backwards.-
-
-
-
- VoyagerFilms
- 3 months ago
-
-
RELATEDddddddddddddddd
Posted: Friday, 29 February 2008 8:53AM
EPA: No 'Compelling, Extraordinary Conditions' for CA Waiver
WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday justified blocking California and other states from regulating auto emissions by saying the pollution doesn't cause them unique problems.
In a 48-page document describing the reasoning behind its much-criticized decision, the EPA argues that California doesn't have the ``compelling and extraordinary conditions'' required for a waiver under the Clean Air Act, because the rest of the nation also suffers the effects of global warming.
EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, who has faced lawsuits and angry denunciations since making the decision in December, told The Associated Press in a phone interview that legislative history shows California must have a unique problem in order to justify a federal waiver to implement a vehicle emissions law stricter than the federal government's.
``I'm not saying that California isn't experiencing problems as a result of global climate change. There are in fact other parts of the country that are actually worse,'' said Johnson.
Environmentalists and California officials disagree with Johnson's interpretation, contending that California has been granted Clean Air Act waivers in the past to deal with problems that are also happening elsewhere, such as diesel pollution.
Critics also contend that California does, in fact, have uniquely worse problems from global warming compared with other states, including wildfire risks, air pollution and water supply problems.
California's law would have forced automakers to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in new cars and light trucks by 2016.
In denying the waiver request, Johnson argued that a nationwide approach would be better and he said it would be provided by a new law raising fuel economy standards. Automakers applauded Johnson's decision.
California officials argued that California's law would be stronger and act faster.
(AP) -
http://current.com/items/89083244_cheney_s_office_pushed_for_trims_to_epa_congressional_testimony
Login/Registration is required to add a response.
