| Submit your comments on this article |
| Economy |
| EPA to regulate Texas emissions |
| 2010-12-27 |
| [Iran Press TV] The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned Texas officials it will take over regulation of greenhouse gases in the state as regulators have refused to follow the rules. Gina McCarthy, the EPA assistant administrator for air issues, called for the regulation of carbon emissions by Texas environmental officials in a letter, adding that the federal government would take control of the state's permitting program if the goal is not achieved. "The unwillingness of Texas state officials to implement this portion of the federal program leaves EPA no choice but to resume its role as the permitting authority," said McCarthy, adding that 167 facilities, many of them reported to be power plants and oil refineries, would be the subject to the permit rule. Katherine Cesinger, spokeswoman for Rick Perry, the current Governor of Texas, however, said the new rule is not necessary since Texas has reduced air pollution with "market incentives and stable regulation, not costly mandates and overreaching legislation." "The EPA's misguided plan paints a huge target on the backs of Texas agriculture and energy producers by implementing unnecessary, burdensome mandates on our state's energy sector, threatening hundreds of thousands of Texas jobs and imposing increased living costs on Texas families," Cesinger added. The permit rule requires businesses to consider the best control technology for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Facilities that their annual emissions are above 100,000 tons will be subject to the rule. Previously, the permit rule only took into account pollutants such as lead, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide, but under the new regulations, carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases contributing to the Earth warming are added to the list. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #26 I don't see anybody out there with both his potential AND credentials. Glenmore, What about Rick Perry? My understanding is that Global Warming is going to be front and centre at the next election, with the Obama Admin attempting to push the economy to the sidelines. Basically he is calling Perry out as the next GOP contender. Sicking the EPA on Texans, that he knows will resist, takes the heat off him and also gives him credence with the Warmistas. |
| Posted by: tipper 2010-12-27 19:35 |
| #25 EPA to regulate Texas emissions Why can't Texas, or any other state for that matter, just tell the Feds to go pound sand? |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-12-27 18:53 |
| #24 Besoeker; Thank you for the Cris Chase post. "Our Presidents priorities" The stage is being set. These are politics in motion. Image over substance. I wonder if he can con the American people again. He's gonna try. He has the cash cow by the throat now. Should he be reelected we will see more of a Chavez approach. Why? because it works. |
| Posted by: Dale 2010-12-27 18:19 |
| #23 Mercutio: add this to the list: Dump the 16,000 DoE energyless slugs. |
| Posted by: Muggsy Glink 2010-12-27 18:03 |
| #22 tw - 'they can't cheat if it's not close' is what is said. And they lost very few close, significant races. If Zero was close in 2012 you know the needed boxes of ballots would show up in somebody's car trunk somewhere - AND get counted! After all, it would only be fair, after the way the 2000 election was stolen from them - or that's how it would be rationalized by the remaining semi-ethical ones. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-12-27 15:53 |
| #21 Texas is the state best situated to take on the Feds. And if they stand tall other states will follow. I'd like to see Texas closing Federal offices and escorting Federal employees to the Texas border. What's The One going to do about it? Stop sending money? Two can play at that game, and guess what happens to Bammo's ability to borrow when faced with the real possibility of losing all his tax revenue from Texas? Then what? Send in Federal troops? Will they follow those orders? From Bammo? Sorry folks, but this battle is entirely one-sided. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2010-12-27 15:52 |
| #20 Our Presidents priorities: Obama calls Eagles owner to congraulate him for signing Vick By Chris Chase Michael Vick(notes) has been getting support from all sides during his road to redemption. He's now getting it from the leader of the free world. NBC's Peter King reports that Barack Obama called Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie earlier this week to congratulate him for giving Vick a second chance after his release from prison. According to King, the president said that released prisoners rarely receive a level playing field and that Vick's story could begin to change that. Forget your political allegiances or feelings about Michael Vick and take a step back to think about this. The sitting president of the United States went out of his way to publicly praise a man who, 3 1/2 years ago, many thought would never play again in the NFL. Even the most ardent believers in Vick couldn't have fathomed a turn-around like this. In retrospect it seems obvious that Vick would get a second chance in the NFL, but it wasn't so clear-cut back when he was lying to the commissioner, getting sternly admonished in federal court and serving out a sentence at Leavenworth. We tend to take for granted unbelievable events when they slowly unfold before our eyes. The step-by-step nature of these sorts of tales tend to minimize the shock when taken in over a long process. So though it now seems like it was all pre-destined to work out like this, it wasn't: Vick's rise and fall and rise is a truly stunning tale. He went from star to pariah to inmate to backup to MVP candidate to political prop for the leader of the free world all in a span of a couple years. [Related: Obama and Kobe Bryant talk trash] For Obama to praise Vick now shows a number of things, namely that uttering the quarterback's name is thought to be a safe political move. He's playing the best football of his life for a playoff team and was the second-leading vote getter for the Pro Bowl. At the moment, he's the model of redemption, someone worthy of praise. Because, if you think about it, Vick got that "second chance" from Lurie 16 months ago. There was no phone call from the president then. Praising Vick at that time would have been a political third rail. But now that Vick is playing great and most people seem to have either forgiven him or stopped caring about his transgressions, it's a shrewd political move. After what could be termed a rough two years in office, the president is looking for a second chance from the people who have turned against him over the past two years. Supporting a huge star like Vick could help with the president's recent image problems. It may not register much nationally, but it couldn't hurt in Pennsylvania. After all, it's a swing state and 2012 is just around the corner. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-12-27 15:15 |
| #19 Look at what we have now for a President. Dale That's a very, very disturbing visual. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-12-27 14:39 |
| #18 The 2011 Texas Legislature will confront the EPA Immediately.. The Obama regime saw the people of Texas in the November elections purge Austin of many Democrats and saw the people of Texas elect Rick Perry to an un-precedented additional term. EPA knows this, so Jan 2, 2011 was chosen as a day to attempt to superceed the inevitable. The 10th Amendment of The US Constitution that recognizes state sovereignity over mandates to states that are not, mandates not written within the US Constitution will be the first legal challenge to the EPA (i.e. Wickard vs Fiburn 1942) that will prove that such Federal actions will do harm to inter-state commerce, trade and taxation. The EPA morotoriums could cost Texas at least 300,000 jobs. Texans know this. They spoke in November. Texans WILL have their way. |
| Posted by: wr 2010-12-27 14:38 |
| #17 Oh this is going to be interesting. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2010-12-27 14:28 |
| #16 "Better bring yer shootin' arns, boys." |
| Posted by: mojo 2010-12-27 14:28 |
| #15 #13 Mr. M yes. Defund is only nuclear option now. The problem is the consequences for those in office. I suggested this defunding before but the response was we can't do that. The patient is on life support and the plug cannot be pulled at this point. Managed triage only way to go. |
| Posted by: Dale 2010-12-27 14:17 |
| #14 Before O was elected I said he would be in for eight years. I see nothing as yet to derail the repeat performance. Media and many of our country have a short memory. Everything that has happened so far will either be forgiven of forgotten. Rino's and many on either side will attack any strong candidate we field. Look at what we have now for a President. He has been given a pass on everything. So the polls look bad. Too many now rely on some sort of government aid. Bush said to the effect that when they get to Washington they will be forced to make the decisions that will make us hold our nose. The bitter medicine may kill the patient now. Sorry but the Sate of the Nation stinks. This will be a long winter. |
| Posted by: Dale 2010-12-27 14:09 |
| #13 Wishlist for defunding (no particular order): EPA ATF DoEd FCC NPR UN and unless DoJ starts obeying the law, they're next anyone else? |
| Posted by: Mercutio 2010-12-27 13:56 |
| #12 And the current administration is far more Stalinesque in understanding that it matters most who COUNTS the votes. That's all very well, but they were the ones counting the votes in November and they still lost heavily. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-12-27 13:25 |
| #11 There was a Reagan visible in the wings to face Carter. I don't see anybody out there with both his potential AND credentials. And the current administration is far more Stalinesque in understanding that it matters most who COUNTS the votes. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-12-27 13:14 |
| #10 I notice that the Media, the Left, and the Establishment RINOs are all saying that Obooboo is going to win in 2012, since there is no one in the Republican Party to go up against him. Funny thing is that they are predicting the lack of opponents 2 years out from an election with a President that is more unpopular than Jimmy Carter was. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2010-12-27 11:44 |
| #9 Stall and lawsuit for the next two years, then O'bullshit's OUT and sanity returns. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-12-27 11:33 |
| #8 Texas is not alone. Agricultural states are under attack by the EPA and the farmer rancher is a very independent type of person and a serious player in many states. If Texas challenges the Fed on this many states will join. |
| Posted by: bman 2010-12-27 11:22 |
| #7 This could get interesting. As a matter of law (as interpreted by the Courts) Texas is required to abide by the EPA regulations. Texans may not like it, but what can they do about it? Their practical right to reject Federal jurisdiction ended in 1865. I can see refusal resulting in massive loss of Federal funding and relocation of Federal facilities. But if Texas can't stand up to out-of-control Feds, nobody can. In the end it's going to have to come down to enough INDIVIDUALS around the country saying 'Enough!' and taking the consequences. How many individuals would it take? Certainly many million. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-12-27 10:39 |
| #6 defund the EPA along with the FCC |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-12-27 10:29 |
| #5 If pushed, Texas will push back. Do the dhims really want to start a pushing war with the Republicans fully in charge of the house? Might have to cut some fat from the budget from YOUR agencies. Just sayin'. Plus, Texans don't like being pushed around. They get all cranky when that happens. Just ask Mexico. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2010-12-27 09:17 |
| #4 Exactly as it is designed to do. Did you really think it was about air quality? Posted by CrazyFool Vengeance is mine sayeth The One. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-12-27 07:48 |
| #3 As a Texan, I would just like to say that I have some greenhouse gas emissions for the Feds -- right here, IN MY PANTS. I'll be happy to show anyone who wants to see.... |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2010-12-27 04:21 |
| #2 carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases ALLEGEDLY contributing to the Earth warming are added to the list. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2010-12-27 01:18 |
| #1 "The EPA's misguided plan paints a huge target on the backs of Texas agriculture and energy producers by implementing unnecessary, burdensome mandates on our state's energy sector, threatening hundreds of thousands of Texas jobs and imposing increased living costs on Texas families," Exactly as it is designed to do. Did you really think it was about air quality? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2010-12-27 00:22 |