EPA Challenge by Texas Cites State's Successes in Protecting Environment and Resources

Texas’ announcement on February 16, 2010 that the state is challenging Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) greenhouse gas stance, notes that the state has a record of being proactive to protect and improve environmental quality.

In a press announcement from attorney general Greg Abbott indicated Texas has petitioned for review with the U.S. Court of Appeals because of the EPA’s use of data from a scandal-plagued International Panel on Climate Change.

Abbott’s office cited sited an example of Texas working “with EPA to successfully negotiate a record-breaking $700 million settlement under the Clean Air Act, has achieved the largest absolute decline in greenhouse gas emissions of any state in the nation, has decreased industrial-source nitrogen oxide by 46% in recent years, and has reduced major metropolitan areas’ ozone levels by 22%.”

Texas has installed more wind power than any other state and all but four countries.

EPA’s decision to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act will cost Texas families $1,200 in increased annual living costs if imposed.

“EPA’s move to regulate greenhouse gases would impose devastating rules on those Texans who fuel one of our state’s largest economic sectors – farmers and ranchers,” Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said. “As a regulatory agency, the Texas Department of Agriculture is required to impose rules based on sound science – not political science….EPA has ignored extensive research on greenhouse gas emissions and based this significant regulation on faulty data.”

Texas ranks third in the nation in total agriculture exports with exports totaling $5 billion.

According to the Department of Agriculture, 16.6 percent of Texans rely on farming and ranching for their livelihood.

“With 250,000 farms and ranches covering more than 129 million acres, Texas depends on farmer and ranchers to help preserve the land, protect habitat, and conserve natural resources.”

The State’s Petition for Reconsideration details improprieties by the international panel and the scientists the EPA relied on to create their stance.

“Because of the serious questions surrounding the veracity, objectivity, and trustworthiness of the IPCC report, the State of Texas is asking the Administrator to reconsider the finding and conduct her own independent review to determine the current state of the science in light of the information that has been revealed in recent months,” said the attorney general.