Biden Administration Asks Court To Throw Out Greenhouse Gas Regulations

As The Hill reported, on March 17, the  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asked a federal court to throw out a Trump administration regulation that could prevent the imposition of greenhouse gas limits on multiple industries. The EPA argued that, under the previous administration, the rule “failed to provide any public notice or opportunity for comment on the central elements of the Significant Contribution Rule, rendering it unlawful.”

The EPA also said the Trump administration did not undertake significant analyses that are relevant to the rule’s “underlying legal and factual questions.”

The rule, finalized just before President Donald Trump left office, would only allow greenhouse gas limits on power plants, exempting industries such as oil and gas production and iron and steel manufacturing.

Also last week: the EPA issued an update and finalized a pollution rule that will require reductions in ozone emissions from power plants in 12 states this year. As Power magazine explained, the update is designed to curb emissions of nitrogen oxide, which comes primarily from coal-fired power plants, ahead of a July deadline for states to comply with the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), which was established during the Obama administration.