EPA chief criticizes GOP assault on greenhouse gas regulation

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EPA chief criticizes GOP assault on greenhouse gas regulation

Republicans on the House energy committee have drafted a bill that would take away the agency's ability to curb such emissions. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson says such a move is a threat to public health.

By Neela Banerjee, Washington Bureau
February 9, 2011

Reporting from Washington — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday criticized a bill drafted by Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, saying it would strip the agency of its ability to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

The committee's proposed Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 would "eliminate portions of the Clean Air Act, the landmark law that all American children and adults rely on to protect them from harmful air pollution," EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson told a packed committee hearing.

"This bill appears to be part of a broader effort in this Congress to delay, weaken or eliminate Clean Air Act protections of the American public," she added.

Jackson's aggressive defense of the EPA's role in dealing with greenhouse gas emissions, which most scientists link to global warming, seemed for the moment to allay concern among environmentalists and many Democrats that the Obama administration would seek compromises on pollution regulation in order to win over a disgruntled business community.

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-na-gop-environment-20110210,0,5144114.story