EPA

Republicans Hate Their Grandchildren

Eleven days ago, I was relieved that the Administration stood firm on anti-EPA riders, but asked, “what will the level of EPA funding be?  If Congress and the White House agree to serious cuts that starve the agency of necessary personnel, then the absence of a rider is a Pyrrhic victory.” Well, now we know …

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Good News from the Budget Negotiations?

It is, of course, absurd that the House, Senate, and White House are even negotiating about budget cuts in the midst of the Great Contraction.  But it does seem that the environmental community has gotten something of a win — at least if you believe the Senators most closely involved in the negotiations: Under intense …

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UCLA Law Symposium: Perspectives on Climate Change

Please join us at UCLA Law School on April 15th for the 2011 Environmental Law Symposium, Perspectives on Climate Change, Pollution and the Clean Air Act. The keynote speaker will be Gina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. Please RSVP. You can also check out the program for more information. Panel …

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The Huge Benefits of Air Pollution Regulation

EPA has a new report on the benefits from the increased pollution controls required under the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act.  According to E&E, A two-decade-old crackdown on smog and soot under the Clean Air Act will yield about $2 trillion in annual benefits by 2020, according to a study that was released …

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EPA prepares to wade into the Bay-Delta

Cross-posted at The Berkeley Blog. EPA has announced “an information-gathering process on how the EPA and the State of California can achieve water quality and aquatic resource protection goals” in the California Bay-Delta. EPA is not proposing any new regulations yet, but it is seeking public comment on what it might do to address water …

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Not Enough “Green” to be Green?

The Washington Post has details about the budget proposal.  Here’s the information on EPA: President Obama’s proposed budget provides $9 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, noting that that amount represents a $1.3 billion decrease from the previous budget year. But that’s unlikely to satisfy Republicans in the House who are sharpening their knives to …

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Can Obama’s Car Emissions Deal Work for Utilities?

Politico ran a little noticed article last week suggesting that the nation’s utilities are exploring whether they can cut a deal with the Obama Administration to regulate their greenhouse gas emissions.   The idea is to model a deal after the plan the car companies entered into with the Obama Administration to extend California’s car …

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EPA vetoes mountaintop removal mining permit

Cross-posted at CPRBlog. If EPA is afraid of the new Congress, you wouldn’t know it from today’s news.  Assistant Administrator Peter Silva issued the Obama administration’s first veto of a Clean Water Act section 404 permit. This veto, which has been working its way through the cumbersome process for more than a year (see here, …

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“Cementing” the GOP’s Environmental Policy in Place

EPA’s cement rule would save roughly one life per year for every job lost. You have to wonder about the value systems of the folks who oppose the rule.

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More Garbage Conservative Constitutional Theory

James Joyner is one of the few conservatives who actually try to come up with intellectually coherent policy positions, and he often does.  So maybe we should give him a pass when he blows it. But wow, is this one a doozy.  The EPA has decided to begin to issue greenhouse gas regulations, as it …

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