EPA chief says Congress should pass greenhouse gases legislation

Responding to a U.S. Supreme Court order, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson said today that the Clean Air Act was "the wrong tool for addressing greenhouse gases" because it would be too costly to the American public, and said that Congress should move forward with passing legislation to tackle the issue instead.

The high court had ordered the EPA more than a year ago to determine if greenhouse gases were a danger to the public. If so, the justices said, under the Clean Air Act, the agency was required to develop regulations to reduce the risk.

Instead, Johnson signed what he said was an unprecedented 1,000-page document this morning that included letters from numerous White House environmental and economic agencies detailing how such regulations could harm major sectors of the economy.

"One point is clear," Johnson said. "The potential regulation of greenhouse gases under any portion of the Clean Air Act could result in an unprecedented expansion of EPA authority that would have a profound effect on virtually every sector of the economy and touch every household in the land."

He said he would accept comments on the proposed EPA regulations in response to the court order, but stressed repeatedly that it was the wrong approach because of the costs.

The document also includes a sharply revised version of a May draft by EPA staff members in which they concluded as much as $2 trillion in savings to consumers at the gas pump and elsewhere could be achieved if greenhouse gas regulations were implemented. That number was slashed to $830 billion, and the price of gas was calculated at $2 a gallon for the next 30 years. EPA press secretary Jonathan Schradar said he did not know why the numbers had been changed, but said extensive review of the earlier draft had been performed by agency staff members.

Today's announcement once again effectively eliminates any likelihood of the Bush administration regulating greenhouse gases.

-- Janet Wilson

Comments

[anonymous]

They need to look at the real issues and facts. The earth's atmosphere in no way resembles a greenhouse.

http://www.junkscience.com/Greenhouse/

It really points to WATER, duh, take a look at the abuse we are inflicting on our oceans!

[Ryan]

Considering how much this administration censors their scientists, and only uses those who 100% agree with their crazy ideology...why would we believe anything the corrupt EPA says? "Too costly for the public." I don't think you can put a price tag on actually having a place to live...who gives a crap about the economy when you can't have an economy without a friggin' place to live?

[Phyllis]

Can't wait for Bush to get out of the way, but I am certainly glad that the government is telling us gas with be at $2 per gallon for the next 20 years.

This seems like a bad joke.

[HOWARD BASS]

What more would you expect from this do nothing agency? Johnson is simply a lap dog for for the Bush/Cheney oil interests that run this country.

[Jennifer]

Are you KIDDING? Gas at $2 a gallon used as the basis for financial calculations on cost/benefits of regulation? This is shameful abuse of governmental authority and bald-faced lying to the American public and the highest court in the land. Unbelievable. How soon does this guy leave office? And how can his EPA flunky sleep at night?

[Richard]

Hardly unexpected considering this administration has the worst environmental record in history. While other generations are labeled, "The Greatest," ours will be labeled "The Most Selfish and Self-Centered." We are armed with information that our planet could actually be doomed yet we choose do do nothing about it because we refuse to make little sacrifices in our daily lives. (Note: redacted portions of the EPA report state that TRILLIONS would be saved if we regulated under the Clean Air Act.)

t seems as if the Bush administration was only content to lead us into a war, as opposed to leading us out of environmental disaster. Disgusting.

[032125]

They concluded as much as $2 trillion in savings to consumers at the gas pump could be achieved if greenhouse gas regulations were implemented?

Of course they did. I'll bet they neglected to factor in the taxes involved in implementing and regulating such draconian restrictions. I'll further guess that they ignored the massive subsidies (more taxes) to manufacturers and buyers of these silly, unprofitable new "technologies" that don't make money and require regular injections from our wallets to stay propped up.

If you think something is expensive, wait till you see what it costs when Congress makes it "cheap".

[Sal B]

Faithful to the oil/gas/energy industries to the last, the Bush Administration will get its reward from them.

[malikhighsbusiness]

We are here talking about costs, but let me ask you. Who gives a flyin hell about cost, or currency if we all die from super massive tornado's, tsunami's, hurricaines, and everything else under the sun. Rising water levels mean more bugs spreading disease, and potentially the next airborne virus's. Seriously, think before you talk.

[for parity]

Well.. well. Politically, sure should remind us of the end of the last administration. Passed on Kyoto, passed on increasing CAFE standards, passed on removing mercury and arsenic from the air and water, passed on a national energy policy, passed on warning us that millions would loose their jobs and the country would go into a recession from the bubble and corporate corruption collapse, passed on putting the inspectors back in Iraq - but stepped up the bombing, passed on coming to the aid of the Afghanistan people as the Taliban routed the coutry, passed on addressing the global HIV/aids pandemic in Africa, passed on addressing the plight of millions loosing their lives in civil war and genocides in Africa (Congo, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast).

[timothy bonfield]

out with the bum....

[Roland Aranjo]

Such a disgrace and disaster is the Bush administration and legacy.

[Cecil]

Thank God the wacko enviormentalist did not win this set back to civilization. If you want to help, target the largest polluter on earth, China. Most bang for the buck there.

[Terryeo]

Stephen Johnson is an incredibly brave man. This was the HUGE opportunity for the EPA to become a strong, encompassing, pervasive organization. In the guise of the EPA, the government could have an air quality test site in every city. With happy little men in black waving their air testers about, fining trucks, cars and businesses everywhere. But Johnson passed this opportunity to become the head of a really huge organization. Well done, Mr. Johnson !

[Joe]

"Too costly for the companies that produce the greenhouse gases. "

Corrected his mis-spoken quote.

Bush appointed a crony to the EPA. I cannot wait till November. His damage to the WORLD will prove to last a century if not longer to undo.

[Patrick Henry]

Interesting how the left despises common sense and logic.

[Mary A.]

Cecil:

All their pollution are belong to us. Seriously, not only has the US off-shored jobs, but we've off-shored our pollution. Companies go to where the not only is the labor cheap and unregulated (sweatshops) but the environmental regulations are lax.

Boy, I'll bet a lot of Americans wish higher CAFE standards would have been implemented long ago, so that at > $4 per gallon gas, they wouldn't be paying so much.

'Course, being a wacko environmentalist, I bought a Prius almost 5 years ago, so I've been saving on the gas bill for quite some time.

[Terry Black]

We need a new name for the EPA, since they're no longer protecting the environment. It's tempting to call them the "Environmental Plundering Agency," but those are slanted words that are no more accurate than its REAL name.

How about the "Environmental Politics Agency?" It comes much closer to what actually happens there.

[Tom]

The problem is the FACTS that we have to day contradict the findings from Kyoto, Japan in December 1997. So based on their findings, they can't regulate because the only thing that carbon dioxide does is make plants greener. In a greenhouse they have to pump in co2 or the plants die in the winter.

The Facts:
http://www.petitionproject.org/gwdatabase/Article_HTML/Review_Article_HTML.html

[Rajiv]

Wow, that's quite a stance to take.

The Supreme Court tells you, "You must regulate greenhouse gases."

EPA says, "No way, too big of an issue for me."

[Rita Stilwater]

Clearly the economy has to be considered, but the health of the planet and it's living beings have to be the top priority in dealing with the greenhouse effects. This country MUST stop putting profit before the wellbeing of the people and the planet. The world is watching and we are falling further and further behind in dealing with this problem. We use the lions share of natural resources and produce more than our share of the pollution. It's time we step up, take responsiblility and clean up our mess.

[sleepless in CA]

Fact: If you smoke in a room with no windows and no doors, it will get smoky, and you will cough. You may even get sick. What if the room has the best filtration system ever? Doesn't matter if you put an increasingly infinite number of people smoking in it.

Fact: The earth is just such a room and we should quit smoking. Even McCain knows that smoking kills people.

[Mark]

According to the GOP we don't have to worry about the planet anyway because Jesus is coming down and flying all the good Republicans up to heaven.

Man these flat earther's need to go.

[Charlie Peters]

Should Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger consider a fee on corn fuel ethanol use?

* * Lower price for food, gas, water, beer, cleaner air and funds for the budget from oil profit.

What was the cause of death of Alexander Farrell, 46, expert on alternative fuels?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/18/BAOK1087DP.DTL

[Dan]

Global warming is a hoax based on junk science. It saddens me that so many Americans have become sheep, just following along with whatever they hear on television. I think Marx called people like you useful idiots. At least the Bush administration has had the good sense to hold up efforts to reglate co2 emmisions.