What happens if the EPA fails to control climate pollution? Alternatively, what are the alternative plans, and who ultimately bears the costs?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a series of moves that could significantly impact the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. These proposals, if finalized, would repeal a number of key standards aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.

The EPA's decision to repeal the Endangerment Finding, a landmark decision made in 2009 that deemed greenhouse gas emissions a pollutant under the Clean Air Act, has been met with strong criticism. The repeal would remove the legal foundation for regulating climate pollution from vehicles, power plants, and the oil and gas sector.

Joseph Goffman, a former assistant administrator of the Office of Air and Radiation at the EPA, considers the EPA's arguments for the repeal as borderline nonsense. The EPA's main argument is that they lack the legal authority to make the Endangerment Finding, due to the small percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions coming from sources regulated by the EPA. However, this argument has already been rejected by the Supreme Court in the Massachusetts vs. EPA case.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has been vocal about his opposition to the EPA's proposals, and members of Congress, particularly Democrats, have expressed concern about the EPA's proposals to deregulate greenhouse gas emissions. If the public wishes for the federal government to continue regulating greenhouse gas emissions, they should address their concerns to members of Congress.

The immediate impact of the repeal is that the legal foundation for regulating climate pollution from major sources like vehicles, power plants, and the oil and gas sector is removed. If the EPA's proposal for the repeal of the greenhouse gas emission standards for new cars and trucks is finalized, there will no longer be any standards for greenhouse gas emissions from automobile and truck tailpipes.

The EPA's proposal for the repeal of the Endangerment Finding contains several alternative arguments, some of which have been previously rejected by the federal courts. The deadline for public comments on the EPA's proposal is in September. Public comments can be submitted through the EPA's website, and should address the issues outlined by the EPA.

Joseph Goffman is now a volunteer with the Environmental Protection Network, but the specific name of the organization he is affiliated with that is actively engaged in climate protection policy is not provided in the available search results.

The EPA's proposals are subject to political influence, and public opinion may play a significant role in their outcome. If you have opinions on the EPA's proposals, make sure to voice them before the deadline for public comments in September.

What happens if the EPA fails to control climate pollution? Alternatively, what are the alternative plans, and who ultimately bears the costs?