[Iran Press TV] The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned Texas officials it will take over regulation of greenhouse gases in the state as regulators have refused to follow the rules.
Gina McCarthy, the EPA assistant administrator for air issues, called for the regulation of carbon emissions by Texas environmental officials in a letter, adding that the federal government would take control of the state's permitting program if the goal is not achieved.
"The unwillingness of Texas state officials to implement this portion of the federal program leaves EPA no choice but to resume its role as the permitting authority," said McCarthy, adding that 167 facilities, many of them reported to be power plants and oil refineries, would be the subject to the permit rule.
Katherine Cesinger, spokeswoman for Rick Perry, the current Governor of Texas, however, said the new rule is not necessary since Texas has reduced air pollution with "market incentives and stable regulation, not costly mandates and overreaching legislation."
"The EPA's misguided plan paints a huge target on the backs of Texas agriculture and energy producers by implementing unnecessary, burdensome mandates on our state's energy sector, threatening hundreds of thousands of Texas jobs and imposing increased living costs on Texas families," Cesinger added.
The permit rule requires businesses to consider the best control technology for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Facilities that their annual emissions are above 100,000 tons will be subject to the rule.
Previously, the permit rule only took into account pollutants such as lead, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide, but under the new regulations, carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases contributing to the Earth warming are added to the list. |