Senate Exposes EPA, Green Group Secret Collusion on Carbon Rules

[Geee]

Heartlander:

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), chairman of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, released a new EPW Majority Staff Oversight Report on August 4, Obama's Carbon Mandate: An Account of Collusion, Cutting Corners, and Costing Americans Billions.

 

In a statement Inhofe says, “The report exposes how the Obama administration's collusion with outside environmental groups ... has cornered out public input in the rule making process.”

 

The report found, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) efforts to regulate carbon emissions from power plants were driven by Obama Administration political appointees colluding with environmental activist groups to implement the President’s climate commitments following the defeat of climate legislation in Congress.

 

Policy Through ‘Sue and Settle’

 

The EPA's efforts were driven by a series of agreements reached settling lawsuits with environmental groups. These "sue-and-settle" agreements were intended to produce regulations limiting carbon dioxide limitation's during Obama's first term.

 

Documents obtained by EPW staff indicate EPA misjudged the complexity of the task at hand. As a result, although EPA initially agreed to finalize rules carbon dioxide emission restrictions for new, modified, and existing sources by May 2012, less than a year and a half after the settlement was reached during President Obama’s first and, at the time, potentially only term as EPA realized these rules could cause political problems for the President during an election year, it persuaded the environmental groups who were party to the settlements to not press for the regulations until after the President’s reelection.

[Geee]

Obama begins climate tour amid rising industry opposition

 

Big business and the Obama administration held competing rallies on opposite sides of the country on Monday, as industry groups rallied against Obama's new emission regulations and the president heralded them.

While the president jetted to flashy Las Vegas to address a clean energy summit and announce a number of solar energy initiatives to support his climate change agenda, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce held a forum in gritty Columbus, Ohio, to oppose what they say is the most expensive regulation in history — the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rule for smog-forming ozone.

The clock is ticking on the ozone rule, which is slated to be finalized by Oct. 1. Industry officials say the ozone rule has taken a back seat to Obama's climate regulations in recent months. The goal of the Ohio event and others like it is to re-focus attention back on the ozone regulations to convince the administration not to go forward.

Industry argues the rule will have a deleterious effect on growing new business opportunities in the state, which will erode jobs.

 

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obama-begins-climate-tour-amid-rising-industry-opposition/article/2570768