Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is floating an amendment that could limit EPA’s efforts to regulate carbon dioxide emissions. The amendment to the EPA’s fiscal 2010 spending bill would limit the EPA to only regulating CO2 emissions from mobile sources. In effect, it allows the EPA to carry on with their recently proposed CAFE standards, but would essentially stall any efforts related to stationary sources, regarding which EPA is otherwise expected to issue regulations or guidance on in early 2010. The amendment would specifically prohibit the EPA from regulating CO2 emissions from power plants. The amendment would only be effective for one year if it is enacted.
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On October 10, the 57th session of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) concluded without any action on a plan for regulations to control GHG emissions from ocean-going ships. The maritime shipping industry accounts for between 3 and 4 percent of the world's GHG emissions; emissions from that sector are expected to double in the next two decades. The IMO, a specialized agency of the United Nations, has been considering issues related to maritime GHG emissions since at least 2000, and one of the agenda items for the October meeting was discussion of GHG controls for ocean-going vessels.
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On June 21, 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that by the end of 2007 it would rule on the State of California’s pending request for a waiver of federal preemption of state regulations limiting vehicle emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Because vehicle emissions are regulated under the Clean Air Act, California’s more stringent emissions regulations would run afoul of federal law unless the EPA granted such a waiver.
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