The hits just keep on rolling for the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), which is beginning to pay the legal costs resulting from
years of Bush administration policies which chose to look the other
way, instead of regulating for the sake of the environment.
This week twelve states filed a lawsuit against the EPA for failing to
regulate the emissions of greenhouse gases from oil refineries.
The suit claims the EPA violated the Clean Air Act when it refused to
issue "New Source Performance Standards" under the Clean Air Act for
controlling greenhouse gas emission from oil refineries. The standards
would ensure that new or renovated refineries take measures to reduce
greenhouse gas pollution using modern technology.
In July the EPA, under the directive of the Bush Administration, effectively refused to take action
on regulating greenhouse gases under the clean air act, despite a U.S.
Supreme Court ruling that stated it had the power to do so.
EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said, "If our nation is truly
serious about regulating greenhouse gases, the Clean Air Act is the
wrong tool for the job. It is really at the feet of Congress."
The Agency extended the comments period for rulemaking under the
Clean Air Act, essentially passing the buck to the next presidential
administration. It did this, only after a lawsuit was filed by 17 states asking the court to force the EPA to move forward with the process.
This suit, filed by New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, is just
the latest example of EPA policy decisions that are winding up in
court.
The EPA is also being sued over weak smog standards, its refusal to address aircraft and ship pollution and an effort to block tougher tailpipe emissions standards.
In Florida last month, a U.S. district judge ruled, the EPA failed to protect the Everglades under the U.S. Clean Water Act.
Plaintiffs in the most recent suit include New York,
Connecticut, California, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire,
New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, as well as
the District of Columbia and New York City.
Loading...