150 House members urge support for EPA emissions rules

By David Shepardson

From © Detroit News Washington Bureau

Washington - More than 150 members of Congress on Monday urged Republicans to reject a bill that would strip the Environmental Protection Agency of the right to regulate tailpipe emissions under the Clean Air Act.

The measure — sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla. — would eliminate EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emission from tailpipes and other sources.

"Congress has consistently rejected efforts to weaken the Clean Air Act and must do so again," said the letter signed by 155 members, including Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn; Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak; Rep. Henry Waxman, D-California; Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. "EPA has already wisely used this authority to implement one national automobile standard to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reduce carbon emissions."

The letter suggests there would be enough opponents to sustain a presidential veto if both houses approved a bill to block regulations.

The House is expected to approve the Upton-Inhofe bill later this week. The bill would overturn a 2007 Supreme Court decision that said the EPA has the legal right to regulate tailpipe emissions as a danger to public health under the Clean Air Act.

Many Michigan members oppose California's efforts to impose its own tailpipe emissions limits. California and the EPA each plan to unveil their own proposals for limiting tailpipe emissions for the 2017-2025 timeframe.

In the wake of the decision, the Obama administration reached a deal with California and automakers in May 2009 to set nationwide standards for the 2012-16 model years that will hike fleet-wide fuel efficiency to 34.1 mpg by 2016.

The deal essentially extended California's proposed standards nationwide, but gave automakers additional flexibility in early years. California's standards were adopted by a dozen other states.

Automakers have officially stayed neutral on the Upton-Inhofe, while United Auto Workers union sent a letter to members of Congress on Monday urging them to oppose the bill.

Other Michigan members signing the letter included Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Flint; Hansen Clarke, D-Detroit and Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, circulated an amendment that would have blocked California from imposing its own emissions limits, but dropped that aspect.

She still plans to propose an amendment that would block federal rules limiting greenhouse gas for two years from stationary sources and it would exempt farm-related emissions during that period.

Upton says allowing EPA to reduce greenhouse gas pollution would cost "American families even more at the pump, at the grocery store and on their home heating bills."