President Obama has directed EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to drop proposed regulations that would have reduced ozone (smog), handing a victory to Republicans and industry that had opposed them, to the dismay of the environmental community.
Obama made the announcement on the same day that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported "no net growth in jobs in August". House Speaker John Boehner had blamed 'excessive federal regulations' as one of the causes for the dismal economic report, singling out the EPA.
"The Obama administration is caving to big polluters at the expense of protecting the air we breathe," Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, an environmental group, said today in an e-mailed statement. "This is a huge win for corporate polluters and a huge loss for public health."
"The EPA will revisit the ozone standard in 2013 as required by the Clean Air Act, Administrator Lisa Jackson said today (Sept. 2) in a statement."
From WSJ: Obama Asks EPA to Withdraw Proposed Ozone Rule. "In pulling the plug, the White House appears to have judged that it had more to lose from industry and Republican criticism than it had to gain from environmental groups and others who support the rule. It had already become an issue in the 2012 presidential campaign, with Republican challengers citing the proposal in speeches and debates."
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Read the full story: Obama Asks EPA to Withdraw Ozone Rules
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