Senators Feinstein, Boxer, Klobuchar and Snowe Urge Swift Federal Action on Rule-Making to Establish Greenhouse Gas Emissions Registry

Washington, DC – February 10, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) have urged swift federal action on a rule-making to establish an economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions registry, an essential first step towards reducing and capping global warming emissions.

Senator Feinstein, Chairman of the Senate Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, and Senator Boxer, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, were the lead authors of a provision that provided $3.5 million to the Environmental Protection Agency for the agency to develop and publish a rule establishing a greenhouse gas emissions registry for all sectors of the U.S. economy, no later than June 26, 2009. The measure was signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161). Senators Klobuchar and Snowe also introduced legislation in the 110th Congress that would authorize a greenhouse gas registry with specific parameters.

Pasted below is the text of the letter sent by Senators Feinstein, Boxer, Klobuchar and Snowe to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag:

February 6, 2009

The Honorable Lisa Jackson
Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, DC 20004

The Honorable Peter Orszag
Director
The Office of Management and Budget
725 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20503

Dear Ms. Jackson and Mr. Orszag:

Congratulations on your respective confirmations.  We look forward to working with you to rebuild our economic strength, protect our environment, and leave our country better off for the next generation of Americans.

As you know, the Fiscal Year 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161) requires EPA to issue a final rule providing for mandatory reporting of greenhouse gases no later than June 26, 2009.  This legislative provision, authored by Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer, allows EPA to use its existing Clean Air Act authority to gather critical baseline data on greenhouse gas emissions, which is essential information that policymakers need to craft an effective climate change approach.

In fact, we believe that it is important that the EPA successfully collect a complete emissions profile for 2010.  This data will be extremely useful to the Administration’s ability to implement a program to combat climate change most effectively, should the 111th Congress enact legislation establishing such a program, as is our intention.

We also believe that the goal of completing the rulemaking in time to collect 2010 data can be met, as a result of extensive work already completed to meet the legislative requirement.  We trust that you share our commitment to the goal of collecting 2010 data, while still allowing reasonable public comment and communication with affected parties.  We believe EPA must publish its draft regulations in the Federal Register during the month of February to accomplish this goal, and we urge you to work together expeditiously to do so.

Again, congratulations on your well deserved appointments.  We very much look forward to working with you in the years ahead.

Sincerely,

Dianne Feinstein     Barbara Boxer     Olympia J. Snowe     Amy Klobuchar
U.S. Senator            U.S. Senator        U.S. Senator            U.S. Senator