EPA Chief Questions Agency’s Right to Regulate Carbon Emissions Scott Pruitt also says in speech that agency to take more cues from states By Christopher M. Matthews and Erin Ailworth

Posted By on March 10th, 2017

https://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-head-says-agency-to-take-more-cues-from-states-1489081073

The new head of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency called into question that agency’s legal right to regulate carbon dioxide emissions, a signature effort by the Obama administration.

In a speech Thursday to a room full of energy executives in Houston for CERAweek by IHS Markit, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said there is a “fundamental question” about whether Congress gave the agency the authority to “deal with the Co2 issue.”

“It’s a question that needs to be asked and answered,” Mr. Pruitt said.

 In an interview earlier Thursday, Mr. Pruitt said carbon dioxide emissions weren’t the primary cause of global warming.“I would not agree that it’s a primary contributor to the global warming that we see,” Mr. Pruitt told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.

 In an interview earlier Thursday, Mr. Pruitt said carbon dioxide emissions weren’t the primary cause of global warming.

There is consensus in the scientific community that carbon dioxide, a bi-product of burning fossil fuels, and other greenhouse gases are a significant driver of climate change. Mr. Pruitt said further analysis and debate on the subject are needed.

Mr. Pruitt’s statements mark a dramatic shift from Obama administration policies, which sought to use agencies like the EPA to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Environmental activists quickly condemned his comments.

“This is like hearing the head of NASA saying the Earth is flat,” said Vera Pardee of the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s absolutely terrifying that the man in charge of the EPA denies fundamental facts about climate change.” CONTINUE AT SITE

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