EPA Chief Changed His Mind about Tailpipe Standards. By Zachary Coile, SFChron, May 20, 2008. "EPA chief Stephen Johnson originally backed California's effort to set the nation's toughest vehicle emissions limits, but he dropped his support under pressure from the White House, according to a new congressional report. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, said the new details -- revealed in sworn testimony from top EPA officials -- showed that the White House 'played a decisive role in the rejection of the California motor vehicle standards' in December... EPA Associate Deputy Administrator Jason Burnett told the committee in a deposition that Johnson 'was very interested in a full grant' of California's waiver in August and September of last year. Later in autumn, Burnett said, the EPA administrator came to believe that a partial grant of the waiver, [which would have allowed the state to implement its rules for several years,] 'was the best course of action'... The committee staff then pressed Burnett on whether the White House had communicated its views... to Johnson. 'I believe the answer is yes,' he replied, [adding that] he'd been instructed... not to answer further questions about the White House's role. Asked if Johnson had changed his view after his discussions with the White House, Burnett said, 'He ultimately decided to deny the waiver.' The testimony by Burnett is the first evidence that Johnson changed his mind about the waiver decision and suggests that White House influence might have played a part."
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