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RESULTS		Results 1 – 25 of 96
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Headline	Author	Published	Section
Down the Interstate Court strikes down federal clean-air rule that would have actually cleaned air		11 Jul 2008	News
Posted at 10:33 AM on 11 Jul 2008 One of the rare Bush administration clean-air policies favored by enviros has been struck down by a federal appeals court. The Clean Air Interstate Rule would have required 28 Eastern states to reduce soot-causing, smog-forming emissions that easily spread on the wind. The U.S. EPA estimated that the rule would prevent 17,000 premature deaths per year, tens of thou ...
Topics: air pollution, Department of Justice, insanity, news, politics, regulation, US EPA (all these topics)

White-Out House White House tries to keep EPA from showing how greenhouse gases could be regulated		30 Jun 2008	News
Posted at 12:29 PM on 30 Jun 2008 The White House is trying to block the U.S. EPA from releasing a document that shows how the Clean Air Act could be used to regulate greenhouse gases, reports The Wall Street Journal. The draft document, a formal response to a Supreme Court decision that greenhouse gases are pollutants and can thus be regulated under the Clean Air Act, must be OK'd by the White Hou ...
Topics: air pollution, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, jackassery, news, politics, regulation, US EPA, White House (all these topics)

For Specious Skies EPA plans to loosen air-quality rules near national parks		16 May 2008	News
Posted at 11:45 AM on 16 May 2008 Photo: Wolfgang Staudt Call us crazy, but rewriting the Clean Air Act to ease the way for new coal plants near national parks seems to fly in the face of that whole "clean air" thing. But sure enough, the U.S. EPA plans to make a change allowing the government to calculate the average annual emissions of power plants near parks and wilderness areas, instead of tracking (and po ...
Topics: air pollution, coal, energy, jackassery, national parks, news, politics, regulation, US EPA (all these topics)

Hey, I'm a CO Too! EPA needs to pay attention to carbon monoxide, says judge		08 May 2008	News
Posted at 3:58 PM on 08 May 2008 Carbon dioxide gets all the press, but the U.S. EPA is way behind on its legal obligation to update the nation's carbon monoxide regulations -- and it needs to get crackin', a federal judge ruled this week. Federal law requires a reassessment of carbon-monoxide standards every five years, but the EPA last took a look at the standards in 1994. While carbon monoxide is not considered to b ...
Topics: air pollution, health, litigation, news, politics, US EPA (all these topics)

Bush Whacked President Bush interfered to weaken U.S. ozone standards		14 Mar 2008	News
Posted at 10:39 AM on 14 Mar 2008 President Bush interfered at the last minute to weaken the recently announced U.S. ozone standards, according to EPA documents. On Wednesday, the EPA set both the "public health" standard (how much ozone is in one place at one time) and the "public welfare" standard (consideration of the long-term effect of ozone) at the same level. Before Bush interfered, the agency planne ...
Topics: air pollution, George Bush, health, jackassery, news, ozone, politics, regulation, US EPA (all these topics)

Gasp! EPA lowers ozone limit, but ignores scientific advisers' calls to lower it more		12 Mar 2008	News
Posted at 3:34 PM on 12 Mar 2008 Photo: iStockphoto In an effort to clear up smog, the U.S. EPA on Wednesday lowered the permissible amount of ozone in the air, a move that will require 345 counties around the country to clamp down on pollution over the coming years. But the agency ignored the calls of its own scientific advisers for a steeper pollution cut. The EPA will lower the ozone standard to 75 parts ...
Topics: air pollution, health, news, ozone, politics, regulation, US EPA (all these topics)

Hey, EPA, when are you going to develop that national system for regulating CO2?	David Roberts	05 Mar 2008	Gristmill
Eh, whenevs.
Topics: air pollution, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, politics, US EPA (all these topics)

California waiver update	David Roberts	04 Mar 2008	Gristmill
Earlier this year I wrote about a new (EPA-sponsored) study showing that increased CO2 in the atmosphere is directly correlated with increased ozone, particulates, and carcinogens in the air. Since California suffers disproportionately from those traditional air pollutants, it follows that California does have "extraordinary and compelling conditions" in the face of climate change, and the EPA's decision to deny Cali's waiver was bogus. Now the author of th ...
Topics: air pollution, California, climate, climate science, greenhouse-gas emissions, health, politics, US EPA (all these topics)

Hot, noxious air from Bush administration The EPA's phony explanation of its rejection of California	Frank O'Donnell	29 Feb 2008	Gristmill
After more than two months, the Bush administration today finally articulated its legal case for rejecting California's greenhouse-gas standards for motor vehicles. The argument is here. It reads like something written up in the boardroom of General Motors or a law firm working for car companies. It even cites arguments made by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers as justification for the decision!It's a phony argument designed to protect the auto industry -- ...
Topics: air pollution, California, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, politics, US EPA (all these topics)

Smog struggle A view behind the scenes at the EPA and the White House	Frank O'Donnell	14 Feb 2008	Gristmill
It is now less than four weeks until the EPA announces its decision on whether to change current national standards for ozone or smog. And things are getting very interesting behind the scenes. Officially, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget website, the EPA has not yet transmitted its plan to the White House for review. The truth is, the EPA is obviously being picked at by the OMB already. The Bush administration is jus ...
Topics: agriculture, air pollution, climate, Department of Agriculture, greenhouse-gas emissions, politics, US EPA (all these topics)

Competing for the Governator's endorsement? All four Republican candidates support California's right to a waiver from the Bush EPA	David Roberts	30 Jan 2008	Gristmill
In tonight's debate, much to my surprise, the Republican candidates got a direct question about the California waiver. Also rather to my surprise, all four said they support California's right to a waiver. It's amazing how isolated Johnson (coughCheneycough) is on this. Not one of his party's standard-bearers will back him up. That is some sad sht. Here's the portion of the debate on Pavley and climate change: [L.A. TIMES' JANET] HOOK: This is for Senator ...*
Topics: air pollution, California, climate, elections, greenhouse-gas emissions, politics, presidential race 08, US EPA (all these topics)

Schwarzenegger's response Details on the EPA chief overruling his staff on California tailpipe emissions	Joseph Romm	25 Jan 2008	Gristmill
We have known for weeks that the EPA administrator overruled his staff when announced late last year that the EPA was denying California's application to regulate vehicle greenhouse-gas emissions. Now we have the details of the PowerPoint presentation that the EPA's legal and technical staff made to Johnson, thanks to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). At the end, I'll reprint a letter from the Terminator (and 13 other governors) sent to the EPA. As reported today by the ...
Topics: air pollution, Arnold Schwarzenegger, California, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, politics, US EPA (all these topics)

Peeling away the covers Boxer releases notes on secret EPA material	Frank O'Donnell	23 Jan 2008	Gristmill
This just in: Sen. Barbara Boxer today released notes her staff took on some of the materials the Bush administration has tried to suppress regarding the decision to reject California's effort to enforce its greenhouse-gas standards for vehicles. These documents back up published reports that EPA chief Steve Johnson rejected the advice of his staff. More here.
Topics: air pollution, California, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, politics, shenanigans, US EPA (all these topics)

Testing the limits of coverup and privilege More shenanigans from the EPA on the Cali waiver	Frank O'Donnell	23 Jan 2008	Gristmill
Thurday will be an interesting test of the ability of Congress to crack a Bush administration coverup of a rotten and likely illegal action: its decision to reject California's effort to enforce its greenhouse-gas standards for motor vehicles. Sen. Barbara Boxer will put EPA Administrator Steve Johnson in the box to explore not only his indefensible decision, but his efforts to withhold information from Congress and cover up the truth about his pro-car company ...
Topics: air pollution, California, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, politics, shenanigans, US EPA (all these topics)

Another reason EPA's denial of Cali's waiver is bogus Increased CO2 in the atmosphere exacerbates the effects of air pollution	David Roberts	07 Jan 2008	Gristmill
The primary reason EPA head Stephen Johnson rejected California's waiver request is that the state did not face "extraordinary and compelling conditions" as defined under the Clean Air Act. The idea is that CO2 affects the entire atmosphere equally, so California didn't face any particular dangers from it. Turns out, not only is that shoddy legal reasoning, it's straightforwardly false, at least if a new study out of Stanford holds up. Forthcoming in Geoph ...
Topics: air pollution, California, greenhouse-gas emissions, politics, US EPA (all these topics)

Johnson's staff	David Roberts	21 Dec 2007	Gristmill
Reporting in the L.A. Times, Janet Wilson confirms (as Juliet Eilperin did earlier) that EPA staff unanimously recommended granting California's waiver, and that they were shut out of the final decision: [EPA staff] advised him to either grant the waiver outright or give California a temporary one for three years. Instead, three sources said, Johnson cut off any consultation with his technical staff for the last month and made his decision before having the ...
Topics: air pollution, California, greenhouse-gas emissions, politics, shenanigans, US EPA (all these topics)

Waxman investigates	David Roberts	20 Dec 2007	Gristmill
Per his threat yesterday, House Oversight Committee chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has initiated an investigation into the EPA's decision to deny California's waiver.
Topics: air pollution, California, greenhouse-gas emissions, politics, US EPA (all these topics)

Johnson's nuts Analysis of the EPA's decision to deny California's waiver	David Roberts	19 Dec 2007	Gristmill
As I mentioned below, today the U.S. EPA denied California's request for a waiver exempting it from federal fuel economy standards, allowing it to implement its own standards. EPA administrator Stephen Johnson announced the decision in a rushed press conference following President Bush's signing of the energy bill. The announcement came with a veritable torrent of dishonest spin. Let me try to disentangle some of it. 1. Johnson leaned heavily on today's passage of t ...
Topics: air pollution, politics, US EPA, California, climate, energy (all these topics)

Breaking: EPA announcing ruling on California waiver at 6:30 Eastern	David Roberts	19 Dec 2007	Gristmill
The EPA just sent out an email advisory saying that Administrator Stephen Johnson will announce the agency's decision on the California air standards waiver ... in about 30 minutes. (Background on the waiver issue here, here, and here.) The lack of lead time might lead one to believe that they want to bury this news. Which might lead one to believe that they're going to deny California the waiver. Boxer and Waxman have both said they expect that outcome. That would ...
Topics: US EPA, air pollution, politics, California, energy, climate (all these topics)

Annals of irritance Feinstein agrees with Big Auto about federal fuel efficiency standards	David Roberts	13 Dec 2007	Gristmill
UPDATE: Feinstein is now trying to dig out of this.In all the galling news of today, this probably ranks as a mere annoyance, but still: Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) has her imprimatur on an expression of opinion that could, if it became law, void her own state's pioneering tailpipe pollution laws, just when the courts are explicitly upholding them. Some background: As you probably know, one of the fondest dreams of the American auto industry is to get something passed ...
Topics: air pollution, Big Auto, fuel efficiency, greenhouse-gas emissions, legislation, politics, US EPA (all these topics)

Fear to Tread Alt-fuel industry recycles rubber tires, contributes to air pollution		18 Sep 2007	News
Posted at 12:12 PM on 18 Sep 2007 A decade-old industry that recycles old rubber tires into fuel is chipping away at the stockpile of 1 billion retired tires in the U.S. But the laudable recycling effort is balanced by a negative impact on air pollution, as the U.S. EPA's clean-air regulations for burning solid waste include a loophole loosening requirements for facilities that "recover energy." Now a r ...
Topics: air pollution, litigation, news, politics, recycling, regulation, US EPA (all these topics)

All In a Day's Work EPA sued over ship emissions, smacked over 9/11 cleanup		06 Sep 2007	News
Posted at 9:08 AM on 06 Sep 2007 The Environmental "Protection" Agency faced two major slams yesterday, from east and west. In Washington, D.C., the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office issued a report scolding EPA for its post-9/11 cleanup efforts, saying the agency's approach to toxic indoor contamination in buildings near the site is misdirected and ignores New Yorkers' health concerns. The report & ...
Topics: air pollution, Government Accountability Office, Hillary Clinton, litigation, news, politics, US EPA (all these topics)

Johnson Stiffens Smog Rules Current U.S. ground-level ozone standard deemed insufficient		22 Jun 2007	Daily Grist
Johnson Stiffens Smog Rules Current U.S. ground-level ozone standard deemed insufficient Smoggy air could get cleaner if a new U.S. EPA standard passes muster. Agency head Stephen Johnson has proposed lowering the allowable amount of ground-level ozone from 80 to 84 parts per billion to 70 to 75 ppb, since "the current standard is insufficient to protect public health." But the agency will hold a 9 ...
Topics: air pollution, health, news, politics, US EPA (all these topics)

The Err Up There EPA relaxes clean-air requirements for ethanol-fuel plants		16 Apr 2007	Daily Grist
The Err Up There EPA relaxes clean-air requirements for ethanol-fuel plants Before last week, plants turning corn into liquor (yes, please) were allowed to emit 250 tons of emissions per year before triggering clean-air regulations, while those processing corn into ethanol fuel could emit only 100 tons annually. Just doesn't seem fair, does it? So the U.S. EPA did the logical thing, announcing that ethanol- ...
Topics: air pollution, ethanol, news, politics, US EPA (all these topics)

And I'll Blow Your Case Down U.S. Supreme Court hears opening arguments in Clean Air Act case		02 Nov 2006	Daily Grist
And I'll Blow Your Case Down U.S. Supreme Court hears opening arguments in Clean Air Act case Fans of respiration held their collective breath yesterday as the Supreme Court began hearing a case about Clean Air Act violations. The case addresses claims by Duke Energy and other companies that the U.S. EPA got lawsuit-happy in the Clinton era, trying to force poor, helpless utilities to add poll ...
Topics: air pollution, environmental justice, news, politics, US EPA (all these topics)

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