Clean Air Rules Squeezing Berry Farmers

(NEWSER) - The Environmental Protection Agency today granted California the right to set its own strict emissions standards, an about-face from Bush-era policies, Reuters reports. In a sly rebuke to the previous administration, the EPA said the move rested on a “traditional legal interpretation of the Clean Air Act.” California first requested permission to go beyond federal standards in 2005; the waiver was denied in 2008. More»

Bush moves to allow coal-fired plants nearer US land preserves

(NEWSER) - Polluting facilities like coal-fired power plants could soon be allowed to operate closer to national parks, according to documents obtained by the Washington Post. Rules being finalized by the EPA—against strong objections from several officials—will weaken Clean Air Act protections by averaging out emission counts over a year, meaning pollution spikes at peak times will soon be legal. More»

Rules make allow power plants nearby

(NEWSER) - Clean air rules likely to be changed this summer are causing serious concerns about future pollution at some of America's most spectacular national parks, reports the Washington Post. The changes will pave the way for 28 new coal-fired power plants near ten parks, according to a report supported by some National Park Service officials. Parks already have "impaired visibility" because of pollution, and the changes represent a major "setback," said one official. More»

15 states join fight to limit greenhouse gases from cars and trucks

(NEWSER) - California, joined by 15 other states, filed suit today against the Environmental Protection Agency for rejecting its plan to limit greenhouse gases on cars, trucks, and SUVs. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the Bush administration is "ignoring the will of millions" by ruling that Congress' recent boost in fuel-efficiency standards makes California's own emissions law unnecessary, reports the AP. More»

Feds lag on allowing states to set tougher controls, Arnold says

(NEWSER) - California sued the Environmental Protection Agency today in an attempt to force the federal government to give states the authority to enforce their own controls on greenhouse-gas emissions. Fourteen other states filed with California in two separate lawsuits, the Los Angeles Times reports. "There's no legal basis for Washington to stand in our way," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in Sacramento. More»