Bipartisan bill would block EPA GHG regulation

A bipartisan bill to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases has been introduced by Congressman Ike Skelton and Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri, along with Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Collin Peterson of Minnesota.

Their bill would amend the Clean Air Act to take out regulation of greenhouse gases as they relate to global climate change, amend the 2007 Energy bill to stop EPA from using indirect land use calculations for renewable fuels policy and broaden the definition of “renewable biomass” to help strengthen the U.S. biofuels industry.

Chairman Peterson says he has “no confidence in the EPA” to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act “without severe harm to all taxpayers.”

Congressman Skelton suggests setting the clean energy bill that’s moving through Congress aside and pass this “scaled back bill”, what he calls a “responsible way to move forward”, that “gets the EPA under control” and “provides good things for American farmers.”

Congresswoman Emerson says “cap and trade energy taxes would be devastating for Missouri and the nation.”

The Missouri Corn Growers, Missouri Soybean Association, Missouri Rural Electric Cooperatives and other groups are among those that support the bill.

While the EPA’s energy plan announced last week decreases the amount of indirect land use “impacts” from corn-based ethanol and biodiesel in the Renewable Fuels Standard, it does not completely dismiss the theory.