EPA

  (By Sasha Abelson, Guest Blogger to the Climate Program)

Photo by Ira Meyer - http://irameyer.com/

The original subject for this blog was going to be a commentary on how the White House allegedly pressured the head of the EPA, Stephen Johnson, to reject California's request to implement stricter emission control laws.  Johnson defended himself stating the decision was "mine and mine alone".[1]  Now a group of democratic senators are calling for a perjury investigation into Johnson's comments.

I found this story shocking on several levels.  Firstly, the head of the EPA may have let his integrity be compromised by pressure from the executive office, and secondly, the President's (alleged) preference for a single emissions standard trumped the state's attempt to regulate greenhouse gas emissions (remember global warming?).

I began writing and was in midsentence when yesterday the above photo was presented to our office.  I stopped writing.   

There are two sides to every story, but EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson didn't want to tell his. Johnson refused repeated requests from the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to produce documents and talk about why he denied California a waiver to set their own automotive emissions standards.

You'd think he'd have something to say about this unusual action -- it's the first time that the EPA has denied a Clean Air Act waiver since it got the right to grant them in 1967.[1] And Johnson denied the waiver over his staff's recommendations[2] after having had two years to deliberate.[3] Luckily, Committee chair Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has just begun to fight. She has introduced legislation to reverse the EPA decision and her bill has the support of 18 other Senators, including Democrats, Republicans, and both of the Senate's Independents.[4]