Thread: Courts blocks EPA from Texas takeover

A federal appeals court temporarily blocked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from taking control of Texas’s carbon-emission rules

Courts blocks EPA from Texas takeover

By Steve Milloy
Saturday, January 1, 2011

From Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-3 ... -move.html

A federal appeals court temporarily blocked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from taking control of Texas’s carbon-emission rules while it considers the state’s bid to fend off federal intervention.

Texas filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington yesterday, saying the EPA didn’t give adequate notice or allow for comments on a proposed federal takeover of the state’s air permitting program on Jan. 2. Last night, the court ordered the agency to hold off on its plan while the court considers whether to delay the move until the case is resolved.

The appeals court ordered the EPA to respond to Texas’s motion by Jan. 6. Challenges to federal rules are brought directly to appeals courts.

Because Texas had not adopted a plan for implementing the EPA’s climate rules, the EPA was all set to take charge of greenhouse gas permitting in Texas starting Jan 2. This takeover has been blocked at least temporarily. So for the time being, emissions will not be regulated in Texas. The rest of the country, however, is screwed.

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/31639

Hollywood climate monsters are a lousy basis for energy and economic policy

EPA’s Texas power grab

By Paul Driessen and Willie Soon
Saturday, January 1, 2011

Any Texas granddaddy will tell you he’s seen it all, when it comes to weather and climate extremes. Tornadoes, hurricanes, heat waves, blizzards, droughts, flash floods, and storms that bring unique combinations of wind, dust, thunder and hail.

Any Lone Star citizen will point out that Texas is America’s leading producer of crude oil, natural gas and (heavily subsidized) wind-based energy. It has the second largest workforce and gross state product in the USA, produces more electricity than any other state, and refines one-fourth of our petroleum – for a country that is 85% dependent on fossil fuels.

Mess with Texas, and the damages will reverberate throughout our nation.

So why is the US Environmental Protection Agency sending federal agents to Texas – to arrest the state’s economy for the “crimeâ€

I'm all for the original principles that made the EPA. I think we need to protect our environment.

However they go way to far. Yes research more "Green" technologies and solutions, I'm all for tax dollars into those programs also. Yes make sure factories aren't dumping toxic waste into rivers and the ocean. Make sure we aren't dumping trash into the everglades and such.

But damn they go way way to far. We have to accept that as an industrialized world we need to also be able to compete and produce which does mean some pollution currently. We cannot drill in the US because of all the envirmentalist nonsense, we have a hard time mining as well because of it. We're ruining ourselves with overly burdened envirmental protection laws.

I'm just waiting till we all get a fine from the EPA for breathing to much because we dish out toxic gas's. Then comes regulating our breaths no more then 9 breaths a minute.