The Environmental Protection Agency is at it again - trying to implement unrealistic regulations that will severely impact our economy and job growth.This time EPA has targeted U.S. ozone standards - also known as national ambient air quality standards, or NAAQS - two years before their scheduled review under the Clean Air Act. U.S. News World Report frames the debate:

At issue: The EPA's plan go[es] far beyond former President Bush's effort to tighten ozone standards way in advance of the planned review in 2013. It could push much of the nation into non-attainment status under the Clean Air Act, forcing major changes to improve air quality.

Just how much of the United States would be affected? The EPA's aggressive air quality proposal would likely push more than 85 percent of U.S. counti... more »

Calling it "an annual rite of spring," Energy In Depth (EID) debunks the latest Cornell "study" on emissions from shale gas development. Although the study got the attention of The New York Times and other major publications, EID points out on its blog that this isn't the first time that Cornell University Professor Robert Howarth has issued studies or abstracts alleging that shale gas production, especially the process of hydraulic fracturing, emits more methane than previously thought. His goal: casting a pall on the environmental benefits of using clean-burning natural gas.

As EID reports, last year Howarth withdrew his initial two-page abstract after calculation errors were found. This year he's at it again with some of his colleagues and has fed information to some major U.S. newspape... more »

The U.S. Senate could vote today on measures addressing the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from stationary sources. These measures and the EPA's regulatory proposal on ozone were the topics of discussion in a blogger conference call on Tuesday. Howard Feldman, API's director of scientific and regulatory affairs; Misty McGowen, director of federal relations; and Khary Cauthen, director of federal relations, took questions from bloggers about Congressional action to limit EPA overreach.

Ms. McGowen explained that there is a "groundswell of activity" on EPA regulation of greenhouse gases in the United States Senate and House of Representatives. In particular, she highlighted Sen. McConnell's, Sen. Rockefeller's and Sen. Baucus' amendments... more »

In today's episode, I interview the American Council for Capital Formation's Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, Margo Thorning about the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) regulations aimed at reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.

Use the audio player below to listen to information about the article and follow along with the show notes. I hope you find the podcast informative.

00:12 Starting on January 1st this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began phasing in regulations that are aimed at reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources. Those sources include hospitals, power plants, refineries and other facilities. But now serious questions are being raised about whether these regulations make sense... more »

On Saturday, February 19th the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, for 2011. The Continuing Resolution (CR), which would fund the government through the end of Fiscal Year 2011, includes provisions that limit funding for several Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actions that have been called prime examples of the agency overreaching its authority. In lopsided votes, the House voted to cut funding to implement EPA's E15 waivers, its decision block to air quality permits that are a requirement for drilling permits on Alaska's Arctic coast, and its rules to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Since the beginning of this year, EPA has been phasing in GHG regulations that are aimed at reducing emissions from stationary sources, inclu... more »