EPA Chief Slow Walks CO2 RuleEPA Administrator Stephen Johnson will not be rushed, no sir. We gave you the rundown earlier this month of how Johnson had managed to ignore a landmark Supreme Court ruling. The EPA could no longer avoid taking a stance on whether greenhouse gases were covered by the Clean Air Act. And it’s become crystal clear from statements that Johnson has made where the agency will come down on the issue.
But of course Johnson has avoided just that. And now he says that, a year after the ruling came down, he needs a couple more months to think on it. From the AP:
The government made clear on Thursday it will not be rushed into deciding whether to regulate emissions linked to global warming, as the Supreme Court directed nearly a year ago.Such action “could affect many (emission) sources beyond just cars and trucks” and needs to be examined broadly as to other impacts, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency wrote lawmakers.
Stephen Johnson said he has decided to begin the process by seeking public comment on the implications of regulating carbon dioxide, a leading greenhouse gas, on other agency rules that cover everything from power plants and factories to schools and small businesses.
That process could take months and led some of his critics to suggest he was shunting the sensitive issue to the next administration.
The man continues to impress with his chutzpah.