Green Options » Stephen Johnson

EPA Ruling Could Allow 8,000MW of New Coal-Fired Power Plants

Timothy B. Hurst — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:07:55 +0000

The Bush administration chalked up another in a growing list of environmentally ignorant midnight rulings by “clarifying” a rule that could allow the approval of several new coal-fired power plants.

Instead of decommissioning America’s fleet of coal-fired power plants and making concerted efforts to prevent the construction of any new ones, the United States Government is finding ways to make sure plenty more can be built. In a memo issued by EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson on Thursday, the Bush administration has “clarified” a rule prohibiting any federal agency from denying an operating permit to new or significantly remodeled power plants based on their carbon dioxide emissions.

Thursday’s ruling stems back to a 2007 case in Utah when the Sierra Club sued EPA because they granted an operating permit to a new coal-fired power plant without taking the new plant’s carbon dioxide emissions into account.

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Boxer: EPA Chief Lied to Congress About Carbon

Timothy B. Hurst — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:39:01 +0000

The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lied to Congress about his rejection of a request from California intended curb global warming emissions, according to one United States Senator.

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who has called for EPA chief Stephen Johnson to resign, made the statement at a hearing on regulation of greenhouse gases under the U.S. Clean Air Act.

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Senators Call For EPA Chief Johnson to Step Down

Timothy B. Hurst — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:57:24 +0000

On Tuesday, four Democratic senators called for Stephen Johnson to resign as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and asked Attorney General Michael Mukasey to begin an investigation into whether he lied in testimony to a Senate committee, the AP reports.

The senators, all members of the Environment and Public Works Committee, said Johnson — the first career scientist to head the EPA — had repeatedly succumbed to political pressure on decisions vital to protecting health and the environment.

“We have lost all confidence in Stephen Johnson’s ability to carry out EPA’s mission under the law,” Environment Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., told reporters.

Boxer was joined by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., in calling for Johnson’s resignation. They said Johnson should step down because he has ignored the advice of the agency’s own scientists on the regulation of numerous air pollutants and stonewalled congressional oversight.

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EPA Chief on Hot Seat Over California Emissions Denial

Max Lindberg — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:19:29 +0000

Last December, EPA administrator Stephen Johnson denied California’s request to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Today, the Senate released documents putting Johnson squarely in opposition with the scientific and legal experts on his staff when he denied the request.The documents were requested by Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works chair Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who said:

“These documents paint a picture of an Environmental Protection Agency in crisis. They show the dedicated professional staff of the EPA working hard to do what they are paid to do by the American people - protect our health and our environment. At the same time, we see more and more evidence of Administrator Johnson ignoring the science and the facts, and discarding the advice of his professional staff.”

“I believe this decision will be reversed by the next President or by the courts, but the Administrator can save the taxpayers time and money, and can get us started cleaning up our air if he would simply follow the law, the facts, and the advice of his agency professionals.”

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