EPA Denies Docs On Calif. Emissions Law

(AP)  Invoking executive privilege, the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday refused to provide lawmakers with a full explanation of why it rejected California's greenhouse gas regulations.

The EPA informed Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., that many of the documents she had requested contained internal deliberations or attorney-client communications.

"EPA is concerned about the chilling effect that would occur if agency employees believed their frank and honest opinions and analysis expressed as part of assessing California's waiver request were to be disclosed in a broad setting," EPA's associate administrator Christopher P. Bliley wrote.

The document dump is the latest twist in a congressional investigation into why the agency denied California permission to impose what would have been the country's toughest greenhouse gas standards on cars, trucks and sports utility vehicles.

Sixteen states were ready to adopt the California rules or were considering doing so had the EPA approved the state's request for a waiver under the state Clean Air Act.

In denying California's request last month, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson told Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that the federal government is implementing its own national fuel efficiency standard.

Johnson's decision prompted several congressional investigations and a legal appeal earlier this month by California and 15 other states.

Boxer and Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., have asked the agency for more information about why it denied California's plan.

More than a week after a deadline set by Boxer, the agency gave her environmental committee a box of documents with numerous pages left almost entirely blank and others with key information redacted, Boxer said.

She called the agency's failure to comply with a legitimate congressional request "an insult to the American people and a dereliction of duty."

Boxer had threatened to subpoena the agency if it did not turn over the documents about the waiver decision. She said she would continue her quest for all the information. Boxer aides said the agency's offer to show her the redacted information privately was not satisfactory.

EPA spokesman Jonathan Shradar said Boxer and her aides were welcome to view and take notes on the entire documents.

"The documents are going to show the decision remained the responsibility of the administrator," Shradar said. "He stands by his decision."

The documents provided Friday by the EPA omitted key details, including a presentation prepared for Johnson. Senate aides said the presentation concluded that the agency was likely to lose a lawsuit if it went to court for denying California's waiver.

In one example, everything but the titles was omitted from 16 pages of a 43-page Power Point presentation provided to the committee, according to a copy of the document e-mailed to The Associated Press.

California needs a federal waiver under the Clean Air Act to implement stringent tailpipe rules under a 2002 state law.

The requirements would force automakers to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in new cars and light trucks by 2016, with reductions starting with the 2009 model year. At least 16 other states also want to implement the regulations.

Earlier this month, California and 15 other states sued the EPA in a bid to force the agency to review its decision. The lawsuit was another reason cited by the agency Friday for keeping its decision-making documents private.

"Further disclosure of this type of confidential information could jeopardize the agency's ability to effectively litigate claims related to California's waiver request," the EPA's Bliley wrote.

[kansas1946]

AP) Invoking executive privilege, the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday refused to provide lawmakers with a full explanation of why it rejected California''s greenhouse gas regulations.
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Oh, what a surprise. Executive priviledge. That means it is too hard to lie about science and get by with it. It takes someone really bright to lie about science, because a lot of bright people will be reviewing the lie. Everyone know that Bush who wouldn''t know a leaf from a dung pile has bullied any honest scientists into falsifying reports or losing their job. So this administration has zero credibility when it comes to ANYTHING scientific. Really sad that science has to take a backseat to partisan politics ruled by the whacko religious right, and the greedy corporate Whitehouse buddies.

[Larry Fafarman]

This is very annoying. If the EPA staff''s reasons for recommending granting the waiver were bad ones, what is the harm in releasing them?

[walt1944-2009]

The EPA has invoked "EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE" (I thought only the Great Emperor Bush II could do that!) in refusing to explain why California should not invoke tough mandatory greenhouse gas regulations.

Naturally, one would not expect the EPA to come "clean" on this, and say that they can''t say anything because the Great Emperor Bush II won''t allow them to say anything under penalty of reprisals from the throne in the Oval Office and also because of the heavy lobbying of BIG OIL companies!

Besides, the Great Emperor Bush II and the Governor of California, "Mr. Terminator", don''t exactly see "eye to eye" on a lot of issues, making the Great Emperor suspicious that Mr. Arnold who professes to be a Republican, is really a Democrat due to the influence of his "Kennedy clan" wife!

Whatever the reason, the citizens of California, especially those in Los Angeles, will be pleased to know that for at least this year, they will continue to put up with the haze and smog that they have come to "love" so well, all thanks to the Great Emperor Bush II and his beloved EPA!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!

[mcvet]

Hey CO2,
Are the consequences of Global Warming where you live 3 degrees like it is where I live?

When will Global Warming get here? Maybe Algore needs to turn up his heated outdoor pool some more.


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Posted by hawksprings at 09:49 PM : Jan 20, 2008
+ report abuse

It''s always amazed me how the Fascist Mind works. This poor loser, despite the ENORMOUS Number of Scientist who tell us it''s so, uses the cold snap we are going through as a reason to disbelieve Global Warming. Now I would take the time to explain why that is but it has long ago come to me that these freaks do not have the ability to discuss and open their minds up enough to understand an different view than what the "Party" has told them. I''ll give you odds though that within 6 months he will be on here saying that Global Warming is taking place but it''s not the Human''s who are causing it. Why do I say that? Because the Fuhrer and the Party have just recently addopted that line... it just hasn''t trickled down to this fine scientific mind doing the posting here. By the way he got his degree from the Klan University... that was the only place he could go. ROFLMAO Sieg Heil Y''all!! ROFLMAO

[DocD--2008]

Looks like it%u2019s time for another one of Bush''s cronies to lose his career.

""Further disclosure of this type of confidential information could jeopardize the agency''s ability to effectively litigate claims related to California''s waiver request," the EPA''s Bliley wrote."

In other words, we did what we want even though it is illegal and wrong......... It seems to be the standard for this administration.

[tngreen]

I''m always getting e-mails from Barbara Boxer begging for money. Let''s see if she sticks to her guns and demands full disclosure or if she buckles, as I expect. Let the "sheeple" keep paying for the privilege of getting kicked in the teeth--I''ll reserve my money for somebody who REALLY represents the people--Dennis Kucinich.

[displeased]

Ever notice on CBSNews that when we''''re having extended cold weather spells like the current one that''''s gone on for over a month, there are no Global Warming stories?
Posted by hawksprings

Is it a cold weather spell or is the weather actually normal for winter?

[gunownerdan]

EPA = Environmental Pillaging Agency

George W. Bush says "The air looks clean enough to me..."
And that''s good enough for the useless EPA.

[sgtrds]

Global warming is looked upon much the same way evolution is. The vast majority of scientists agree that it''s real and (unlike evolution) is man made. Yet there are still those fools out there who have bought into the myths, but in this case the myths are put out by big oil, big coal and there lapdogs in the White House, Bush and Cheney. They want to deny reality because the truth is being brought to them by people they disagree with politically. Not surprisingly that''s not going to stop them from getting just as scr*ewed up by the effects of global warming just because their political heros are in denial. I wonder what they''ll say when Manhattan goes under water, or Florida or London?

[hawksprings]

Hey CO2,
Are the consequences of Global Warming where you live 3 degrees like it is where I live?

When will Global Warming get here? Maybe Algore needs to turn up his heated outdoor pool some more.