Connecticut Governor Rell Asks Senator Lieberman to Help Remedy Flawed Decision by EPA Administrator on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

EPA Administrator’s Decision Contradicted Professional Staff Recommendations Regarding California’s Request for Tailpipe Standards

February 29, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today asked Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman to work with his colleagues on the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee to put in place measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars.

Governor Rell’s request is in the wake of recent reports in Congressional Quarterly indicating that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator (EPA) Stephen J. Johnson ignored the recommendations of EPA’s professional staff when he denied California’s request to impost stricter standards on motor vehicle emissions in December 2007. This denial, which was formally signed today by Administrator Johnson, prevents California, Connecticut and a dozen other states from imposing more stringent tailpipe emissions rules that would have reduced greenhouse gases.

“As impossible as it seems, I am more troubled today about this flawed decision than I was when we first received the denial by Administrator Johnson at the end of last year,” Governor Rell said in her February 29 letter to Senator Lieberman. “Now I understand better why the reasons offered at that time for the final decision were less than convincing. In fact, it seems the Administrator’s decision was a tapestry woven with contradictory and implausible explanations in the face of professional guidance by EPA professional staff.”

Today, Administrator Johnson signed the Federal Register notice denying California’s request for a Clean Air Act waiver to implement greenhouse gas emission standards for cars. According to Administrator Johnson’s decision from December 2007, California does not have “compelling and extraordinary conditions” to implement such a policy.

“One does not have to be a scientist to understand that we are no longer talking about the prospect of climate change – we are already experiencing it,” Governor Rell said. “I believe global warming is one of the greatest challenges this generation and future generations will have to face and if the daunting task of curbing greenhouse gases and confronting climate change is not ‘compelling’ or ‘extraordinary’ then I am not sure what rises to that level.

In addition to asking Senator Lieberman and his colleagues to address the issue of greenhouse gas emissions emanating from the tailpipes of automobiles, Governor Rell requested that the Committee delve deeper into the issue Administrator’s denial and the information he used for the basis of his decision.

“Connecticut has been a national leader on confronting the challenge of global warming and climate change and Senator Lieberman has been a strong advocate for taking steps to address this mounting problem,” Governor Rell said. “We remained disheartened by this decision but our resolve is strong to continue to aggressively seek creative solutions to deal with this issue– for it is real and we have a responsibility to act.

“As we move forward I ask the members of the U.S. Senate to help us understand how this significant greenhouse gas reduction measure could have been derailed by the Administrator in the face of staff recommendations that would have allowed Connecticut and others to do their part to address global warming,” Governor Rell said. “I know from my own personal experience in working with EPA’s regional staff how dedicated and committed they are to ensuring a safe and clean environment.

In the days following Administrator Johnson’s decision, Governor Rell and her counterparts from more than a dozen other states provided testimony to the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee, outlining the importance of the measures they were attempting to take while expressing their disappointment with the decision. Also, on January 2, 2008, Connecticut joined these states in a lawsuit against the EPA to uphold state rights to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles.

Source: Connecticut Governor

Bookmark/Search this post with:

 •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •