EPA Makes a Move on Emissions

Washington DC March 24, 2009; The AIADA newsletter reported that the Environmental Protection Agency wants carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases declared a public health danger – nearly two years after the Supreme Court gave it authority to regulate them.

If approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget, the move could set the stage for sweeping national limits on man-made carbon dioxide emissions, especially from the nation's automobiles.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president wants Congress to act on emissions. "The way to deal with greenhouse gases is to work with Congress in order to put together a plan that deals with this and creates a market for renewable energy," Gibbs said Monday.

According to the Detroit News, the EPA's move would come nearly 10 years after the agency first received California's petition in 1999 to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vice President William Kovacs, said allowing California to go forward could damage automakers. "As Congress tries to bail out the auto industry, California wants to punch more holes in the bottom of the boat," Kovacs said, warning of the high costs.