EPA to Withdraw Coal Killing Clean Air Act Requirements
WUWT reader Greg Staff writes:
It looks like the EPA is seeing the writing on the wall. The scuttlebut here is Houston is that this is a “face saving” maneuver, to avoid having to submit to the next administration.
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it plans to voluntarily withdraw a requirement that seven Texas coal-fired power plants reduce pollution, according to a filing with a federal appeals court.
The so-called regional haze rule is part of the Clean Air Act and was proposed two years ago with the goal of cleaning up the air in national parks. The act requires states to craft a plan to address air pollution, or else be forced to implement a plan compiled by the EPA. Texas declined to create a plan, and along with power plant owners took its objections to the EPA’s plan to court.”
Full story: http://fuelfix.com/blog/2016/11/29/epa-withdraws-pollution-regulations-for-seven-texas-power-plants/
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“The rule would apply to seven power plants that the EPA claims affect air quality in Big Bend National Park and the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, the only two national parks in Texas. Big Bend is along the state’s western border with Mexico and the Guadalupe Mountains run along the Texas-New Mexico border.”
We visited these two parks since retirement. To get there you drive to the middle of nowhere, turn north or south and drive another 200 miles. These are remote, arid, and very windy places. The wind doesn’t blow from the coal plants towards the parks.
One of our other places we go in the winter is near Houston. Parking our motorhome on the Gulf of Mexico is free.
While the Haze Rule was a stretch to start with because haze is natural, the absurdity of this case would not pass a legal challenge.
And everyone who lives here in Texas knows that our weather systems almost always blow from west to east, not the other way around. Meaning, for those who aren’t up on their geography, that all of the haze in those parks comes from Mexico and has nothing to do with coal plants that are several hundred miles DOWNwind.
The entire plan was ridiculous from the start – that’s why the EPA dropped this without much of a fight.
Withdrawn is not dead. Kill it completely
Us Texans are a different breed. We used to be a nation, doncha know. And with all the cattle business we have had over the last hundred or so years, we know bullsh-t when we see it.
JimB – How do you tell a rancher from a politician? A rancher has the BS on the outside of his boots.
Indeed: if you visit London there’s a plaque marking the site of the Texan Embassy!
Was this new rule about SO2 a guise to block coal because of CO2?
Better focus on small particles (PM 2.5) If the plant is close or up wind to a lot of population, and forget about CO2 (SO2 already out mostly?)
An EPA house cleaning is badly needed. Trump won’t be there forever and the bureaucrats who will do what the EPA has attempted to do need to be broomed. Republicans have been remiss in house cleaning when in charge in the past. Nice guys like good old George W. There are of course the civil service employees for whom, I have been told, require a veritable act of congress to shed. Perhaps that is why there are so many idiots in the ranks. I would think, though, that at the policy level a good disinfecting would be possible.
George W issued lots of new regulations on coal plants because they were needed. It was not a war on coal but putting place a level playing field between old unregulated plants and new ones. It was about real air pollution.
Obama’s war on coal is about climate and not supported by regulation.
There’s a few other folks want to buck their ideas up too, on this side of the pond.
Last night, the UK electricity grid was running flat out at (just) 48GW – there was no spare capacity. None.
And outside air temps were only just dipping below freezing over England….
Peta in Cumbria, Can I ask where you got the numbers for last night’s power generation?consumption? Living in the UK, that’s something I’d be very interested to read. Maybe a link?
Derek: Paul Homewood has the info at notalotofpeopleknowthat .
Derek
This is the site most usually referred to (by all sides of the debate, neither a skeptic nor green site)
http://gridwatch.templar.co.uk/
In addition this is the National Grid winter outlook FYI:
http://www2.nationalgrid.com/UK/Industry-information/Future-of-Energy/FES/Winter-Outlook/
Ofgem, the industry regulator, publish a twice yearly outlook paper on whether UK can meet demand too. It is maddeningly difficult to find where they stash it…
(peak demand on the 2 or three highest winter demand evenings in the UK has not gone over 53GW in the last 5 years. 50 GW is not an unusual peak. UK has last weekend lost one of its interconnectors to France, meaning 1GW of regular import not available)
EPA
–Clean Air. Mostly done ✔️
–Clean H2O. Mostly done ✔️
–Spot and marginal problems with Air/Water. Keep working
-Violations of scientifically based standards. Keep working
–Quit trying to regulate a colorless, odorless, tasteless trace gas essential to life.
–GREAT JOB EPA!! You’ve completed your main missions. Now go away with the nations thanks.
–Devolve your remaining responsibilities into Interior Dept.
That ‘America Great” thing beginning!!
Like many of us, I am pleased that we have cleaned up our water and air since the founding of the EPA. I have to say though, I was dismayed when EPA director Gina McCarthy claimed at her confirmation hearing that storms and severe weather are becoming more common and more severe. No one asked her for references to back up that claim, even though it directly contradicted recent congressional testimony of Dr. Roger Pielke Jr. Without valid science, the EPA is dangerous. Hopefully we will see a flip in the quality of science used, not just a flip in ideology.
For years, not only have organisations like this been attracting politically active eco-activists, but they’ve allowed them almost free reign to indulge in creating whatever data they can. In an environment where there were no penalties for being fraudulent and massive perks for coming up with the “right” answers, it is inevitable that will have been a massive amount of corruption. And whilst the management no doubt were aware much of the information they got was “suspect”, I doubt they have the faintest clue just how extensive the corruption has been.
So, when you first get an administration that is there to enforce good standards, it will start at the top – they will claim that “barring a few minor issues they are dealing with (starting just after Trump got elected) – everything is fine and that Trump should just go away now and let them run it their way.
But as the new people dig just a little deeper (and start doing the job the old management were supposed to be doing and intentionally did not) they will inevitably find a hotbed of corrupt practices. And it won’t just be adjustments to data. It will involve personal expenses, unauthorised expenditure, political advocacy and working hand in glove with certain parties. etc. etc.
EPA has been using its power to attack people, driving them into bankruptcy, stealing homes and businesses and farm land. Time to prosecute EPA employees.
Evidence to back up those assertions?
If you are too stupid to read news articles that is your fault. Or did mommy drop you on your head repeatedly?
It appears that this is merely a way to avoid having a judge kill the regulation, keeping it around to be reimposed later.
do note these 2 recent reports which include sections on how Trump can’t revive coal and can only slow US renewables industry:
http://3hky4v206jda3tityl3u622q.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Trump-Energy-Credit-Implications-of-the-2016-Election-commentary-.pdf
http://www.economist.com/news/business/21710311-mr-trump-may-slow-not-derail-americas-clean-energy-transition-polluting-outlook
Griff, the first problem with your statements, up thread, is the fact that Asthma is hereditary, just like baldness in men.
It IS NOT caused by pollution. Asthma runs on one side of my family, and it has affected “some” of my family members, exactly as hereditary science predicted it would.
“Trump can’t revive coal and can only slow US renewables industry”
Only in your mind dear Griff, only in your mind.
In Griff’s mind, any trend that is in a direction he likes, will continue forever.
Just like the fact that for the last 3 months, Arctic ice levels are lower than the 2012 level is proof that Arctic ice will soon be gone.
However the fact that for 6 months prior to that ice levels were above the 2012 mark is utterly meaningless.
But the point is Mark they are not only lower, but much lower than the previous low point in the satellite record and lower during the freezing season, with ice melt actually having restarted at one point.
That is completely unprecedented.
and in the previous 6 months, well the 2016 low was either the second lowest or tied fro second lowest, according to how you measure it.
which is very far from (say) a recovery to pre 2007 levels…
Well Standard and Poor and the Economist Intelligence Unit from whom I draw my information are both of that opinion. do look up their recent reports.
Neither noted for their leftist of green credentials, I’d have thought.
In my childhood, everyone I knew had measles, mumps, and chicken pox.
Almost everyone heated with firewood or coal. The only vaccine we received
was smallpox.
I never knew anyone with asthma until all children had to be vaccinated
for what we called the “childhood diseases”.
I subscribe to the theory that lack of exposure forms wimpy immune systems
which react too strongly to week stimuli.
A good example is the water in third world countries gives my GI system
fits while locals drink it with no problem.
I drive. a lot. All over the world, I am a real road warrior. In the UK , if I am coming up on a town or village, the first indication is often a church spire, which is usually close to the centre. In the US it’s usually a water tower, with the name of the place on it. US cities are identified by an orangey haze visible from over ten miles away. But these hazes have absolutely zero to do with power stations
Every building with toilet facilties has at least one sewer vent puting out methane.
When was the last time you drove in the US. Air quality is ‘good’ almost all the time. I am old enough to remember smog in LA and a black dome around steel mills.
Do not recall an ‘orange haze’. On an overcast night, some time of street light allow you to see a city before you get to it.
It’s too late. Let the RIF proceed. Start packing and start the internal investigations at EPA and a lot of other agencies.
Isn’t it amazing? The Trump Effect (making America great) has already begun, and he isn’t even president yet.
+1
Sure, for those that turn off their brain and drink the Kool Aid.
Caved to UMW and regional political losses perhaps.
Less pollution is certainly desirable. But the plain fact of history is that more death and misery, by multiple orders of magnitude, has been caused by too much government than by too much pollution. It is equally clear that pollution reduction has, in the West generally and the US especially, degenerated into justification for increase of government power, size and scope.
The EPA offices in downtown Washington would make a great site for luxury condos and retail
There are no doubt over 15,000 dedicated EPA workers who have nothing to do with the mismanagement .
They can apply for the growing number of coal plant jobs and other real jobs that Trump will
repatriate to the USA . The management should be able to move to California to monitor cow farts .
There won’t be any new coal power plants under a Trump administration.
They aren’t economic with the level of shale gas production
The funny part is how you act like you know, well, anything. Quoting leftarded talking points and acting like a leftarded ass is about all I have seen you do, leftard.
EPA has been wildly out of control for 30 years. Ask yourself, why does Environmental Protection Agency have Tactical Response Teams? Time to fire several thousand employees at EPA, starting at the top. And them criminal investigation and prosecution. EPA has been doing that to small business and farmers, time to do it to them.