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EPA Finally Turns Its Paper in
After two years of deliberations -- and against the unanimous recommendation of his staff -- EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson decided to prevent California from instituting strict greenhouse gas emission rules.
When he issued the decision, it came in the form of a two-page letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Such decisions are usually delivered in the form of a lengthy, formal paper. Critics of Johnson's decision (i.e. Democrats, environmental groups, and attorneys general from several states) have pointed to that as evidence that Johnson issued the decision hastily, arbitrarily, and without technical or legal backup.
Well, today, two months after that two-page letter, the EPA finally submitted the paperwork. The basic reasoning remains the same. The thrust behind the 48-page document is that California's request does not meet the "compelling and extraordinary conditions" necessary for a waiver to be granted since global warming is a problem not unique to California -- an argument that his staff directly rejected, as agency memos have shown.
This filing allows the lawsuit filed by California and 17 other states to finally get going. EPA memos also show that staff warned Johnson that the EPA would lose such a lawsuit -- but Johnson, much to the satisfaction of the auto industry and the White House -- went ahead and denied the waiver anyway.
Johnson has already been grilled twice about his decision, and he's got at least a couple more rounds in the ring to look forward to. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, will hold a hearing March 5th. And House sleuth Henry Waxman (D-CA) will most likely invite Johnson to get grilled at some point in the future once his oversight committee finishes interviewing EPA staffers and collecting evidence.
Comments (6)
Combine Johnson's decision with the Daily Muck's stories
and
and I've just got to wonder what all these people are thinking when they keep behaving as if this isn't going to have a negative impact for their children and beyond.
They can't all be rich enough that their families can live in protective bubbles while the world becomes toxic. Can none of them realize that making money now is effing things up for their own descendants, since they clearly don't give a rip about the rest of the population? I truly cannot understand their thinking. It's not even long-term thinking they lack. They can't seem to think beyond this quarter's earnings.
February 29, 2008 1:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is just so damn inconvenient to have to document these decisions... I mean Bush wants it, why do we have to do all this paperwork?
What did you think? This is some government by the people for the people - that is just so un-Bush.
After the investments we made in the Help America Vote Republican act and all the effort we made to install Bush in power regardless of the vote of the people... can't we just rule with out all these technical requirements.
Are we going to have to call on one of our Bush appointed judges to toss out these silly lawsuits...
Aw gee, they didn't tell us this at Bob Jones university.... this governments stuff can be hard...
February 29, 2008 1:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
For once I agree with the Bush Administration.
Bush Administration douchebaggery is also, in Kiel's words, "a problem not unique to California", so why should California be exempt now?
We're all drowning in this together.
February 29, 2008 1:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
OH NO! Not another hearing for one of Bush's Nazi yes men. This must have the Whitehouse shaking in their goose stepping boots...
Oh, and since I am on a Bush Nazi rant today here is a link to the latest Bush abused detainee photos sent in by another commentator that may have been missed. It will give you a warm fuzzy concentration camp feeling all over again.
Zieg Heil Baby...
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Wired_publishes_new_disturbing_photographs_of_0228.html
February 29, 2008 3:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I find it interesting that Dianne Feinstein--a Bush enabler in many of the ways that matter--is holding her hearing on March 5th.
March 5th isn't exactly going to be a slow news day. How much attention is this hearing likely to attract the day after the gladiator fights--I mean primaries--in Texas and Ohio?
February 29, 2008 3:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whatever happened to "states rights"? I thought that was a pillar of Conservative thought.
This EPA asshole needs to be removed from his post. I hope the states can sue the EPA and win a couple of billion dollars in damages. This is yet another club the Democrats can use to beat McCain over the head with along with the rest of the GOP.
There is just no end of offences the Rethuglicans have given the Democrats to use against them in the Fall campaign. I think a long list of the indicted GOPhers like Mark Foley, Bob Ney, Duke Cunningham, Tom DeLay, Larry Craig, Ted Haggard, Ted Stevens etc. etc. etc. would be a great idea. Highlight the GOP corruption, the 4000 troop deaths, the deficit, McCain hugging and kissing Bu$h, kissing up to John Hagee.
There is a gold mine of abuse and corruption to highlight for the Fall season.
March 1, 2008 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink