Good news: EPA set to shackle economy with ruling on global warming

First come the new regulations on corporate pay, then comes onerous litigation to force emissions compliance. All we need now is a monster tax hike and then we’ll really have this economy humming.

Sometimes I get the feeling that recovery isn’t quite the paramount priority for the left that they claim it is. Paranoid, I know.

“This is historic news,” said Frank O’Donnell, who heads the public watchdog group Clean Air Watch. “It will set the stage for the first-ever national limits on global warming pollution. And it is likely to help light a fire under Congress to get moving.”

But business groups decried the move as an economic disaster.

“By moving forward with the endangerment finding on greenhouse gases, EPA is putting in motion a set of decisions that may have far-reaching unintended consequences,” said Bill Kovacs, vice president of environment, technology and regulatory affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Specifically, once the finding is made, no matter how limited, some environmental groups will sue to make sure it is applied to all aspects of the Clean Air Act.

“This will mean that all infrastructure projects, including those under the president’s stimulus initiative, will be subject to environmental review for greenhouse gases. Since not one of the projects has been subjected to that review, it is possible that the projects under the stimulus initiative will cease. This will be devastating to the economy.”

Will The One press ahead with this to satisfy the greens or put it on the backburner until GDP is growing again? Prioritization hasn’t been his strong suit thus far. Exit question: Anyone been to Costa Rica?

Blowback