White House pushes back utility MACT to December

posted at 10:45 am on October 24, 2011 by Jazz Shaw

Some possible good news crossed the Hot Air desk today for those worried about the pending implementation of new EPA utility MACT rules which will hobble energy production and drive up consumer costs around the nation. As part of the weekly Friday night, take out the trash dump, the White House announced a final decision on implementation would be pushed back until at least the middle of December. Erica Martinson reports at Politico Pro. (Pay wall in place for non-subscribers.)

EPA is postponing until Dec. 16 its planned mercury and toxics air standards for coal and oil-fired electric steam generating units, but is opposing efforts by utilities to delay the rule for one year.

The agency filed a brief with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia today, where, with agreement from environmental litigants, it delays its final issuance date one month in order to respond to comments.

“EPA has taken unprecedented steps to solicit public feedback on these vital standards. As a result, the Agency has received 960,000 comments, which EPA continues to review as we work to inform and finalize the rule,” the EPA said Friday in emailed comments to POLITICO.

It’s worth noting that the White House has already backed down on some of the new and very costly EPA regulations, specifically the ozone regulations earlier this year. (You remember those. The standards which even Yellowstone National Park couldn’t meet?)

Obama has recently been framing pretty much all of his speeches and pronouncements in terms of campaign promises kept and other cheerleading to shore up his sagging numbers heading into next years elections. Fiscal conservatives have been very effective this year in getting news about these regulations out to the public, including how hard consumers will be hit in the pocketbook during rough economic times. Is this a signal that Obama is getting ready to bail out on another plan which would have driven more voters out of the fold?

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