Providence, RI. – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today released the following statement applauding the Obama Administration and Environmental Protection Agency for quickly moving forward with an endangerment finding detailing the consequences to public health and welfare from greenhouse gas pollution. The endangerment finding responds to the landmark 2007 U.S. Supreme Court opinion in Massachusetts v. EPA confirming the Agency’s authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant. The Bush Administration failed to respond to the court’s order to determine whether greenhouse gas pollution endangered the public health, despite being legally obligated to engage in that review.
“I am pleased that the EPA, under the new leadership of Administrator Lisa Jackson, has worked tirelessly in just four short months to respond to the Supreme Court’s ruling to protect the American people from the dangers of unchecked greenhouse gas pollution. Sadly, the Bush Administration, under the failed leadership of former EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson, ignored the Supreme Court’s ruling for nearly two years to help polluters at the expense of protecting the American public.
“I welcome EPA’s aggressive action to address the growing threat of greenhouse gas pollution and hope this will serve as a wake-up call to Congress to pass comprehensive cap and trade legislation. The best approach to addressing climate change is through legislation that will put a price on pollution and move America to a clean energy future that will grow the economy and lower energy costs for consumers.”
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