Twenty governors and nearly 100 trade organizations, including several energy groups, have written letters to Senate and House leaders expressing their concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) attempt to use its Clean Air Act (CAA) authority to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are contributing to global warming.

The governors, led by Mississippi’s Haley Barbour, called on Congress to “stop harmful EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions that could damage…vital interests,” but they did not indicate what route they wanted Congress to take to stop the agency. The industry associations, however, expressed their support for a “disapproval resolution” offered by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) in late January, as opposed to legislation that has been offered in both the Senate and House to temporarily suspend EPA activity (see Daily GPI, Jan. 22).

The Murkowski-Lincoln resolution seeks to overturn the EPA’s endangerment finding in December that sets the stage for the agency to stringently regulate emissions even if Congress fails to enact climate change legislation (see Daily GPI, Dec. 8, 2009). A similar disapproval resolution has been introduced in the House. Murkowski welcomed the letters from the governors and organizations, saying they demonstrated the “growing public opposition” to EPA imposing back-door climate regulations.

“[We] urge you to vote in favor of this resolution,” wrote the industry organizations in an open letter to all members of the Senate. Among the groups were the American Petroleum Institute, the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the Natural Gas Supply Association, Industrial Energy Consumers of America, the Gas Processors Association, petroleum councils from a number of states and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In a separate statement issued Thursday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said, “The Murkowski-Lincoln…approach is the clearest, most sensible way to stop EPA. Unlike other bills that could become bogged down by parliamentary procedures, the Murkowski-Lincoln resolution is guaranteed a vote on the Senate floor.”

While the organizations said they respected companion legislative proposals offered last week by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) and Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) to suspend for two years potential EPA regulation of GHG emissions from stationary sources, such as coal-fired power plants, “and are prepared to work with members on both sides of the aisle on a permanent solution that may build upon those legislative initiatives, the undersigned organizations, all of whom face regulation by EPA, cannot wait [see Daily GPI, March 5].”

The disapproval resolution (S.J. Res. 26) is the “clearest and most sensible approach and has already gained the bipartisan support of 41 senators. Most importantly, it directly addresses several fundamental problems with allowing EPA to pursue its regulatory course,” the organizations said. Murkowski initially was expected to bring up the resolution for a vote in the Senate this month, but it’s now been pushed back until after the Senate returns from Easter recess in April, said spokesman Robert Dillon.

A “simple delay of EPA action,” as proposed by Rockefeller and Rahall, “will do nothing to provide relief to Americans looking for jobs or businesses looking to make new investments in our states,” the governors said in a letter to Congress Wednesday. The agency’s efforts should be halted altogether, they noted.

“We believe that EPA should offer input regarding complex energy and environmental policy initiatives, like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but feel that the policies are best developed by elected representatives at the state and national level, not by [a] single federal agency,” the governors said.

“As governors, we have the responsibility to protect jobs, promote economic growth and mitigate any threats to financial stability in our states. We oppose EPA regulation of greenhouse gases that fails to account for these responsibility.” The governors called on Congress to work to pass broad legislation that “balances the role of conservation and climate security with the production of abundant and affordable American energy.”

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