Source: Fox News
Summary
The Government Accountability and Oversight (GAO) has accused the Obama administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of pre-determining the legal basis for its climate framework. The GAO pointed to communications from 2009, including emails from Lisa Heinzerling, who served as the climate policy counsel at the EPA at the time. The emails suggest that climate-minded officials treated Obama’s Endangerment Finding as a foregone conclusion and later used it as the foundation for vehicle emission standards, power plant regulations, and permitting restrictions. The GAO’s filing comes as the Trump administration has made moves to end Obama-era energy regulations.
Our Reading
As expected, the matter has reached another stage.
The EPA’s climate framework has become a familiar battleground. The GAO’s filing is just the latest salvo in a long-running debate. The Trump administration’s efforts to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding have been met with legal challenges from environmental groups. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is currently considering the matter. The GAO’s accusations of a pre-determined outcome are just another chapter in this ongoing story.
The familiar ritual of bureaucratic infighting continues.
Author: Evan Null
