Obama abandons tougher smog rules
Post on: 2011-09-05 By: admin
CollectionsObama abandons tougher smog rulesBusiness criticized the proposal as a job killer. The retreat is the latest amid GOP demands.September 03, 2011|By Julie Pace and Dina Cappiello, Associated PressEPA chief Lisa Jackson testifying in June on the health benefits of reducing ground-level… (CHARLES DHARAPAK / Associated Press)WASHINGTON - President Obama on Friday scrapped his administration's plans to tighten smog rules, bowing to the demands of congressional Republicans and some business leaders. They argued that the proposal to cut emissions of smog-causing chemicals would cost billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs. Obama overruled the Environmental Protection Agency - and the unanimous opinion of its independent panel of scientific advisers - and directed Administrator Lisa P. Jackson to withdraw the proposed regulation, which would have reduced concentrations of ground-level ozone, smog's main ingredient. The decision rests in part on cutting regulatory burdens and uncertainty for businesses at a time of rampant wariness about an unsteady economy.
The White House announcement came shortly after a government report Friday on private-sector employment showed that the nation's businesses essentially added no new jobs in August - and that the jobless rate remained stuck at a historically high 9.1 percent. The president is planning a major address next week on new measures to stimulate employment, while Republicans in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail have harshly criticized the administration's environmental and health regulations, which they contend were forcing layoffs and the export of jobs. The withdrawal of the proposed regulation marks the latest in a string of retreats by Obama in the face of Republican opposition. In December, he shelved, at least until the end of 2012, his insistence that Bush-era tax cuts should no longer apply to the wealthy. Earlier this year, he avoided a government shutdown by agreeing to Republican demands for budget cuts. And this summer, he acceded to more than a $1 trillion in spending reductions, with more to come, as the price for an agreement to raise the nation's debt ceiling to avoid a default. A spokesman for House Speaker John A. Boehner (R., Ohio) had muted praise for the White House, saying that withdrawal of the smog regulation was a good first step toward removing obstacles that are blocking business growth. "But it is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to stopping Washington Democrats' agenda of tax hikes, more government 'stimulus' spending, and increased regulations, which are all making it harder to create more American jobs," said the spokesman, Michael Steel.
MORE LIKE THIS Budget pact details show easier path taken to cutsApril 12, 2011
Index by Keyword|Index by Date|About Philly.com|Contact Us|Terms of Use & Privacy Statement|Copyright 2011
Article original from: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20110903_Obama_abandons_tougher_smog_rules.html
