Clean Air Act news stories on Newser

Barbara Boxer: Green Groups Should Sue Obama

Kevin Spak — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:08:03 CDT

Count Barbara Boxer among those steamed about President Obama’s decision to ditch the EPA’s proposal for stricter smog standards . The California senator talked to reporters yesterday, and while Politico notes that she was more measured than many environmentalists , she did call for a lawsuit against the president. “I’m not making...

'Pull the Plug on Grandma'? That's GOP Policy

Nick McMaster — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:20:50 CDT

Chuck Grassley’s warning that Obamacare will “pull the plug on Grandma” has become a rallying cry for the GOP’s anti–health reform efforts. But looking at past policies, it’s the GOP that's out to get grandma, Jacob Weisberg writes in Newsweek . A wide range of Republican policies, from opposing stem cell...

EPA Bucks Bush Policy, Lets Calif. Set Own CO2 Standard

Harry Kimball — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:08:29 CDT

The Environmental Protection Agency today granted California the right to set its own strict emissions standards, an about-face from Bush-era policies, Reuters reports. In a sly rebuke to the previous administration, the EPA said the move rested on a “traditional legal interpretation of the Clean Air Act.” California first requested...

EPA Expected to Start Limiting CO2 Emissions

Rob Quinn — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:46:02 CST

The EPA is expected to soon start regulating emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases for the first time, reports the New York Times . The agency is under an order—ignored by the Bush administration—to decide whether CO2 is a pollutant that endangers the public. Obama administration officials...

Court Reinstates Bush Clean Air Rule

Rob Quinn — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:05:19 CST

A federal appeals court has decided that a flawed clean air law is better than no clean air law, the New York Times reports. Reversing an earlier judgment, the court ruled to temporarily reinstate the Clean Air Interstate Rule—which limits emissions from coal-fired power plants in 28 states—while...

EPA to Loosen Clean-Air Rules in National Parks

Rob Quinn — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:29:31 CST

Polluting facilities like coal-fired power plants could soon be allowed to operate closer to national parks, according to documents obtained by the Washington Post . Rules being finalized by the EPA—against strong objections from several officials—will weaken Clean Air Act protections by averaging out emission counts over a year,...

Clean-Air Changes 'Imperil Parks'

Peter Fearon — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:33:18 CDT

Clean air rules likely to be changed this summer are causing serious concerns about future pollution at some of America's most spectacular national parks, reports the Washington Post . The changes will pave the way for 28 new coal-fired power plants near ten parks, according to a report supported by some...

National Park, Meet Coal Smog

Nick McMaster — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:03:17 CDT

The Environmental Protection Agency is set to change its rules to allow the construction of coal power plants in previously off-limits areas near national parks, the Christian Science Monitor reports. A draft revision to the Clean Air Act would soften standards of pollution in “Class 1” areas (ie, national parks)...

States Sue EPA for 'Foot Dragging' on Warming

Rob Quinn — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:19:00 CDT

States, cities and environmental groups have teamed up to take on the federal government over global warming, the New York Times reports. The 18-state coalition is aiming to force the EPA to take action in the wake of last year's Supreme Court ruling that the agency should limit vehicle emissions...