Murkowski seeks ban on EPA from regulating carbon dioxide

The proposal is fiercely opposed by the administration, which sees EPA action as a way to pressure the Senate into passing cap and trade legislation curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Prospects for the bill have dimmed in recent weeks, as the health care debate has taken center stage…

The EPA is expected to release a ruling this fall declaring that greenhouse gases are a danger to human health and welfare. The ruling would allow the agency to begin regulating emissions from power plants, factories, and a broad range of other sources.

Murkowski, the ranking member on the Energy and Natural Resources committee, believes that type of agency action would be an “economic train wreck.”