Sends Two Letters to Administrator Jackson about EPA’s Disregard for Laws Meant to Ensure Sound Science and Protect American Jobs
WASHINGTON, D.C. –This week, Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) joined Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), and Senator David Vitter (R-LA) in sending two letters to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson regarding the EPA’s noncompliance with key legal protections for small businesses. They express concern that the EPA is ignoring sound science, failing to follow the law and threatening small businesses and communities.
“Administrator Jackson is allowing the endangerment finding to proceed even as the manipulated scientific data behind it crumbles in the face of the Climategate scandal,” Barrasso said.
“Our letters demonstrate that the EPA is ignoring two bedrock laws meant to protect small businesses, small communities and scientific integrity. This isn’t the first time the EPA has thrown science out the window and small businesses under the bus in order to advance its liberal agenda.
“The EPA isn’t above the law. Federal agencies have a legal responsibility to evaluate and minimize the economic burden imposed by their regulatory actions, and the EPA is no exception. With ten percent unemployment, Americans can’t afford for Washington to push even more reckless policies that will kill jobs across our country and threaten small communities.”
BACKGROUND
Today, January 14, 2010, the EPA’s Endangerment Finding goes into effect. Senator Barrasso believes it will cripple the economy by excessively regulating carbon from a wide range of American businesses.
Senator Barrasso joined Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), and Senator David Vitter (R-LA) in sending the two attached letters to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson:
1/13/09 Letter Regarding Endangerment Finding Impact on Small Businesses and Communities:
• The letter states that the Small Business Administration wrote EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson on December 23rd, 2009 stating that she did not comply with the law to investigate the impact of her climate change regulations on small businesses and small communities. It also asks Jackson to withdraw the endangerment finding and all other climate change regulations until EPA complies with the law and investigates how EPA regulations will impact small businesses and small communities.
1/14/09 Letter Regarding EPA Violation of Data Quality Act in Wake of Climategate:
• The letter states the Senator’s concern that the EPA is in violation of the Data Quality Act (DQA), which was enacted to ensure the integrity of information relied upon by Federal agencies. The letter also states that EPA violated its own peer review guidelines. Both accusations are in reference to the development of EPA’s endangerment finding, which is largely based on UN scientific data now in dispute.
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