Earth Equity News

EPA Chief Lied to Congress, Says Boxer. By Deborah Zabarenko, Reuters, September 23, 2008. "The head of the U.S. EPA lied to Congress about his rejection of a request from California meant to curb global warming emissions, Sen. Barbara Boxer said on Tuesday. Boxer… [who] called for EPA chief Stephen Johnson to resign, made the statement at a hearing on regulation of greenhouse gases under the U.S. Clean Air Act. 'You've shown that what Mr. Johnson told us is not the truth,' Boxer told Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, after lengthy questioning of the EPA's Robert Meyers, who helped prepare Johnson for a meeting at the White House over the California decision. Johnson denied California's request for federal permission -- known as a waiver -- to impose tough new limits on climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions from cars and light trucks. That decision last December effectively blocked as many as 18 other states from doing the same. Johnson previously told the Senate Environment Committee… that his decision in that matter was based on the advice of EPA's experts. Meyers told the committee on Tuesday he could recall no EPA recommendation to reject the waiver, that all the advice he was aware of recommended granting the waiver or at least granting it for a period of two years."