The Congressional Research Service (CRS) added to the pile of conflicting well-to-wheels analyses with its report released this week, “The Life Cycle Assessment of Canadian Oil Sands,” written in the context of the Keystone XL project. Just like its predecessors, CRS wades into the world of assessment comparisons, choosing previously-published reports with seemingly common variables to come up with an emissions calculation slightly different from the rest. The problem, however, is that more often than not, apples are compared to oranges and policymakers are misled.

The report concludes that the Canadian oil sands emit 14 to 20 percent more greenhouse gases (GHGs) in a well-to-wheels (WTW) comparison with other crude oils imported into the United States “despite differences and input as... more »

A federal appeals court has rejected a motion for a partial stay of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations, clearing the way for the rules to take effect on Jan. 2.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the motions filed by coalitions of industry groups and the State of Texas failed to prove that the harm likely to be caused by the regulations is "certain," or that it will be caused directly by the regulations. API is a member of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) coalition, which moved for a partial stay of the regulation of GHG emissions from stationary sources.

NAM stood behind the coalition's arguments. In a statement, Quentin Riegel, NAM's vice president for litigation and deputy chief counsel, s... more »

In another example of overreaching, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have joined forces to produce the first ever greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and fuel economy standards for heavy-duty trucks and buses.

The two agencies say the new proposed rules will generate $41 billion in net savings, reduce GHG emissions by 250 million tons, and lower oil imports by 500 million with the introduction and use of 2014-2018 model year vehicles. But will they really do that?

No, says blogger Marlo Lewis at MasterResource. He crunched the EPA's own numbers and arrived at a very different conclusion:

"Although the ostensible objective of the rule is to reduce GHG emissions and oil imports, the overwhelming share of the claimed benefits... more »

Pundits and reporters today are speculating on the election results' impact on proposed environmental regulations, including the future of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) plan to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Clean Air Act.

Starting Jan. 2, new regulations on GHG emissions from stationary sources go into effect, eventually requiring as many as 6.1 million industrial facilities, power plants, hospitals, big box stores and farms, among other establishments, to get permits to operate or expand. It's believed the regulations could delay construction projects, destroy jobs and hamper economic expansion.

The battle over the proposed regulations already is being fought in court, where business groups are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to stay... more »

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) plan to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is being challenged in court--again. The most recent suit was filed Thursday by more than 90 companies and trade associations which are questioning the EPA's finding that GHGs endanger public health.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the suit alleges that "EPA violated its statutory duty" and made a "sweeping judgment" about carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions without independent scientific review. Additionally:

• Politico reports that the White House is stalling the release of EPA's guidance on how large companies including refiners and power plants are supposed to reduce GHG emissions. According to the report, some officials want to cap the costs on pollution controls against EPA's will.
• A report... more »