Earth Equity News

EPA Endangerment Finding Sent to White House for Review, In Preparation for Climate Bill Alternative. By Tom Doggett, Reuters, November 9, 2009. "EPA has sent its final proposal on whether CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions pose a danger to human health and welfare to the White House for review, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson told Reuters on November 9. The EPA's final finding, if it follows the agency's earlier assessment and is approved by the Office of Management and Budget, would allow the EPA to issue rules later to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, even if Congress fails to pass legislation to cut U.S. emissions of the heat-trapping gases that contribute to global warming... Jackson said the OMB has up to 90 days to review the proposal, but the EPA would like a quicker timetable... Along with its final endangerment finding, the EPA also sent to OMB the agency's final finding on whether cars and trucks 'cause or contribute to that pollution,' Jackson said. Such a finding would allow the federal government to regulate tailpipe emissions by increasing vehicle mileage requirement. Jackson said the government is facing a 'hard deadline' of next March to let automakers know of any required increases in fuel economy standards that would affect vehicles built for the 2012 model year."