Bush Appointee Overruled EPA Staff In Order To Deny California Waiver On Emissions
Bush Appointee Overruled EPA Staff In Order To Deny California Waiver On Emissions
In December, EPA administration Stephen Johnson rejected “California’s long-standing request for a waiver from federal law to be able to implement its own landmark regulations to slash greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.”
According to new documents released today by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Johnson, a political appointee, overruled his own staff, who in October recommended that California receive the waiver. According to the case laid out in briefing slides, EPA staff believed that legally, the agency could not deny California’s waiver:
SLIDE - “If We Grant . . .”
· “Likely suit by manufacturers”
· “EPA is almost certain to win such a suit”
· “Grant will likely allow CA standards to go into effect . . . ”
· “Grant would be generally consistent with federal GHG rule”SLIDE - “If We Deny . . .”
· “Almost certain lawsuit by California”
· “EPA likely to lose suit”
Substantively, the staff also argued in this October presentation that California needed the waiver in order to mitigate the effects of climate change:
California continues to have compelling and extraordinary conditions in general (geography, climatic, human and motor vehicle populations - many such conditions are vulnerable to climate change conditions) as confirmed by several recent EPA decisions.
Earlier this month, California and 15 other states sued the EPA over its refusal to allow them to set their own tougher vehicle-emissions standards. Under the 1970 Clean Air Act, California has regularly been allowed to set its own standards and has emerged as a “national leader in developing air quality protections.”
Johnson’s decision to overrule his staff follows a trend by President Bush’s political appointees to put politics over science. In 2003, for example, FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford decided to block over-the-counter access to the morning-after pill, despite recommendations by the agency’s scientists. Career professionals at the Justice Department who advised rejecting Georgia’s discriminatory voter ID law were also overruled by the department’s political appointees.
(HT: The Crypt)
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44 Responses to “Bush Appointee Overruled EPA Staff In Order To Deny California Waiver On Emissions”
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If you don’t believe your own experts, just make the stuff up and do it the way you wanted to anyway…
The Bush Doctrine
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:24 pmScience? Science, go f**k yourself!
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:25 pmScience? We don’ need no stinkin’ science!
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:25 pmI hope the American people who hated the clintons and gore so much that they though…huh I’ll just vote republican this time….it can’t be any worse…….are happy now….
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:26 pmI wonder if that effing geek wears that hardhat to keep the science out?
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:26 pmgot any facts on this for us plunger?
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:29 pmI suppose that Exley will come along to explain to us why this doesn’t make Republicans hypocritical about States’ rights.
Don’t take that comment as an invitation, Exley.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:33 pmFoxes guarding the henhouse.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:34 pmIt boils down to this: do you want to have a solid economy or do you want to preserve the nature and accept the financial losses?
Comment by Frank M — January 23, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
Ah, yes, a troll classic: the False Choice.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:36 pmThe latest from Chef Frank M: boiled strawman.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:38 pmOf course, Frank’s latest ignores the fact that with Bush, we have neither a solid economy nor preservation of nature.
How’s that work exactly, Frank?
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:40 pmIt boils down to this:
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:40 pmDo you want a livable environment for this generation and the next, or are you willing to let your children and theirs live in a smog ridden cancerous atmosphere so you can keep all your material crap you put on your plastic?
More corrupt Bush administration officials?? No! All of the fingers of blame are beginning to point to one place and one place ONLY - that’s right - the office of the POTUS himself!!
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:41 pmRU: It’s a waste of time to attempt to provide insight to these sick twisted greed monsters or to instill a scintilla of human “conscience”. They’re dead already - these monsters - and want to take their own children and grandchildren down with them. Their personal and collective deathwish is obvious.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:42 pmRU: The syndrome is called “eating one’s own” - one way or another, the offspring dies.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:43 pmfrom Jefferson on the environment
Jefferson’s philosophy that the earth belongs in usufruct to the living at least partially reiterates the biblical/Lockean paradigm of the earth as intergenerational commons, the fruits and benefits of which should be accessible to every member of every generation. f126 He takes the position that no landholder has a natural right to control the land or dispose of it after his or her death. The land is entailed to the larger society; it reverts to the larger society upon the holder’s death. Society may choose to pass the land on to beneficiaries or assignees chosen by the original landholder, but there is nothing in natural law which requires this. “By an universal law, indeed, whatever, whether fixed or moveable, belongs to all men equally and in common, is the property for the moment of him who occupies it; but when he relinquishes the occupation, the property goes with it.” f127
Society, as trustee of the earth, reasonably expects the natural estate to be returned undiminished at the end of each landholder’s tenure. Jefferson maintains that each individual, and each generation collectively, has the obligation to pass on his, her, or its natural estate undiminished and unencumbered to later generations:
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:43 pmPlunger: I should think that the survivors of those who died as a result of 911 pollution would have much to say and much to swiftboat the Republican candidate with??
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:44 pmRU: Thanks for the Jeffersonian insight, too. The bible also tells us that we are to become “stewards of the environment” which parallels the definition of “caretaker” to do what’s necessary and best for future generations. And these bible thumping hypocrites are the very ones who disagree with the now-irrefutabe science on global warming. Their personal level of hypocrisy is astounding; the collective level of reichwing hypocrisy is downright criminal.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:46 pmPlunger: What webs we weave when we intend to deceive! Sure makes sense now - Dresser and elephantass Pappy Bush worrying about their fortune being plundered due to asbestosis claims from the WTC. No doubt there’s a lot more to be learning about what the background really was for the false flag operation on 911. Can’t wait for it all to unfold. Any wonder why the BushCrime Family will scurry to Paraguay the day following the end of this reign of terror??
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:49 pmIt boils down to this: do you want to have a solid economy or do you want to preserve the nature and accept the financial losses?
Comment by Frank M — January 23, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
Frank, you ignorant simpleton.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:51 pmShut up!
Plunger: I hope you will send this information to every sycophantic MSM news outlet you know! No such thing as coincidence - something the initiated know for certain. I think Kucinich is reopening the 911 commission and some of this new information will be spewing out of every nook and cranny soon. I don’t think Bush and Cheney will beat the clock and get their sorry butts out of office before the entire house of cards comes toppling down and takes them under with it.
Let’s see - as the information comes forth, The Dick, Cheney, will develop a heart problem; Herr Chimp will claim temporary insanity (or profound insanity as the case may actually be).
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:52 pmThis one is just blatant. It pales in comparison to the slow-motion homicides enabled by the lies of the EPA at Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11 when Christine Todd Whitman intentionally lied through here teeth about the levels of asbestos in the air and on the pile.
THESE ARE FACTS - and the evidence is all over the internet.
Comment by plunger
I’ve heard enough from the workers speaking out publicly to know this is true……
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:53 pmHey Plunger: Remember the days when C & L and other blogs wouldn’t public the “now obvious” 911 inconsistencies?? They preferred to shove them under the rug and trump up their amiercan incredulity to a fever pitch. Now they are beginning to see the light; now they know that something’s amiss with the official story and it has absolutely nothing to do with “conspiracy theories”; it has everything to do with TRUTH!
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:54 pmFred: I also have heard stories from workers and families at ground zero. This information has been squelched by Rudy and Bush which is why Bush hopes that Rudy will become his successor - the lies will continue if that is the case.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:55 pmIt boils down to this: do you want to have a solid economy or do you want to preserve the nature and accept the financial losses?
Comment by Frank M — January 23, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
I want to have a solid economy and preserve nature. Given the recent recessionary outlook, it appears that Bush doesn’t want to preserve nature and is more than willing to accept the financial losses.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:55 pmFred and Plunger: Yes, the flow of 911 information and the fact that the official story is bogus and/or an overt obstruction of justice is all over the internet now. Too much scientific evidence, personal testimonies, and medical information on those first responders to not have it reopened. The last poll I saw had americans at near 85% in the column of “disbelief” of the official story and more than half of them believing that it was, indeed, an inside job. Wouldn’t be the first false flag in this country.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:58 pmdimwit: Don’t allow the moronic troll to have you believe that these two concepts are mutually exclusive. That’s his typical “trick”. In fact, the argument is now made that by making these adjustments in lifestyle, our economy becomes kickstarted with new businesses in this country. It’s a fallacious argument Frank’s trying to make here. The question for him would be: How can our economy get any worse than it is right now? And who are the ones making money hand over fist? That would be Bush’s cronies who are the major polluters of our planet.
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:00 pmAbsolutely, plunger! Thanks to Rudy highlighting his role in 911, I say that it should be on the lips of every american over the next months - until we impeach Bush and Cheney in order to get to the truth.
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:01 pmNote to Ghouliani: Be careful what you ask for!
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:01 pmThe second argument vis-a-vis the need to change our addictive ways in order to preserve the planet is this: WHY NOT?????
If, in fact, Mother Nature is kinder to us than the prevailing science indicates, so be it and what have we lost? For openers, we’ve become less energy dependent which is a HUGE step in the right direction.
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:03 pmLet’s talk about 9/11, and let’s NOT STOP.
Comment by plunger — January 23, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
God Please NO!
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:05 pmIt boils down to this: do you want to have a solid economy or do you want to preserve the nature and accept the financial losses?
Comment by Frank M — January 23, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
No, you buffoon, it doesn’t boil down to your stupid little false dichotomy at all. These two goals are compatible, in fact.
Mind. Numbing. Stupidity.
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:10 pmStephen L. Johnson is going to HELL!!!!
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:15 pmComment by plunger — January 23, 2008 @ 4:11 pm
Meaning I don’t want you posting reams and reams of 9/11 crap.
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:20 pmThey don’t show the next slide in the presentation which says:
HOWEVER, …
Predicted conclusion to all lawsuits - 2009
So, SCREW IT!
BWA HA HA HA HA HA!
(Meeting adjourned)
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:33 pmIn less than a year Johnson will leave the EPA for a cushy industry job, no doubt.
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:34 pmExplain to me how making better products will ruin the economy?
This has been the whine of Republicans for ages:
We can’t pay a living wage:
We can’t put in safety equipment in the mines!
WE can’r have a minium wage!
We can’t raise the minimum wage!
We can’t hace a 40-hour work week, overtime, workmen’s compensation, parental leave!
….we’ll go broke!
They’ve been whining like this throughout the 20th Century–and the result? America has an enormous economy, and the rich are richer than ever.
They whine like spoiled children every time, and every time they’re wrong.
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:40 pmIt’s amazing how the exchanges on this forum took a quick turn from California and it’s quest for tougher emission standards to 9/11 and the war. Somehow, thankfully, I notice that tread that seems to link thees discourses together. Looks like there is a lot off skepticism toward our government and it’s controversial policies.
About the EPA… it just looks like the process is being drawn out. Those new standards will pass.
I pinpointed the shift in conversation topics and it all begins with POST 18.
Plunger:
You are cohesive in your thought process and what you say does make sense but I’m going to go out on a ledge here and say that you might be hovering along very thin conspiracy theories.
Cheers,
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:46 pmRobert
The Issue | http://www.TheIssue.com
(1) So if it’s never “on topic to post “tons of 9/11 crap†(otherwise known as the TRUTH), then you are in favor of living this lie for the rest of your life under a fascist dictatorship?
(2) If we don’t reveal the truth here, then where?
(3) If not now, then when?
Comment by plunger — January 23, 2008 @ 4:23 pm
1) life, lie, fascist dictatorship, whatever
2) I don’t care where, just not here
3) preferably when I’m not around
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:55 pmI’d hate to see Congress saying anything impolite about the almighty Bush Administration’s EPA strangling us in our own smog. After all, it might damage the spirit of bipartisan cooperation so necessary for implementing solutions to the recession-related economic problems of our betters.
Maybe that environmental extremist Arnold der Governator will sic Jerry Brown on those Republicans and save us from the timidity of the Democrats, who only hold a majority in Congress.
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:07 pmI take it that you are referring to Osama being the ring leader of a network of terrorist cells he had across the country waiting on his command to carry out his plan to destroy the us economy and credibility worldwide.
Was it proven to be impossible?
Robert
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:11 pmThe Issue | http://www.TheIssue.com
caption:
“The oil pipeline is only this wide, so it’s a tight squeeze for me.
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:12 pmThank goodness for my official Christie Todd Whitman helmet that protects my head when they pump me headfirst to work in the morning.”
Is the man in the photo actually wearin his chinstrap on his hardhat. I have worked in industry for a lot of years and have never seen anyone use a chinstrap.
Perhaps, well I’m not gonna guess why he did that!
January 24th, 2008 at 10:24 amDoes anyone know whether there is a study or report evidencing the trend that this trend of Bush appointees advancing the administration’s agenda and how the courts are systematically striking those provisions down.
Anything similar to what Union of Concerned Scientists put out to expose the political pressure put on Federal scientists? Thanks.
February 29th, 2008 at 4:43 pm