EPA Administrator Might Regret the Time He Agreed With Staff

<p>EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson’s feuds with staff have been <a title="well-documented" href="../../../view/white-house-skirts" id="btrr">well-documented</a>. But it might be Johnson’s agreement with a staff report that undermines his rationale behind not letting California regulate greenhouse gases in cars and trucks.<br /><br />

A <a title="report" href="http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20080312110250.pdf" id="falv">report</a> by the House oversight committee takes a look at the EPA’s efforts to regulate greenhouse gases since the Supreme Court mandated they do so in the Supreme Court case, Massachusetts v. E.P.A. Johnson responded to the decision from last May by a creating a team of 60-70 EPA staff to determine the danger posed by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. They found (hold on to your seat) that CO2 is very dangerous and current levels need to be significantly reduced. Johnson signed off on their findings and sent the report to the White House and the Department of Transportation. Neither the White House nor Department of Transportation responded.<br /><br />

So why is this news? Because the recommended reductions by EPA staff are much greater than the reductions written in to Congress’ fuel economy bill. Johnson, however, denied California its tailpipe emissions waiver on the premise that the state regulation was unnecessary with the national legislation. But he signed off an EPA report recommending emission reductions <i>in addition to</i> what Congress could agree on.<br /><br />

In the meantime, the reports finds that the EPA’s work on curbing greenhouse gases has &quot;been effectively halted.&quot; With the White House and Transportation Dept. unresponsive, it’s not clear what efforts the federal government is taking on global warming. But, hey, at least Johnson stopped the nightmare of a confusing maze of state regulations dead in its tracks.</p>