A legal challenge to EPA's greenhouse gas endangerment finding
Washington Ag Today January 6, 2010 The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has filed a petition with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals which NCBA Chief Environmental Counsel Tamara Thies says challenges the EPA’s recent greenhouse gas “endangerment finding” rule. Thiez: “The reason NCBA filed an appeal is because EPA‘s finding is not based on a rigorous scientific analysis, yet it would trigger a cascade of future greenhouse gas regulations and litigation with sweeping impacts across the U.S. economy.” Thiez says the petition was filed by NCBA and a coalition of interested parties and is the first step in asking the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn EPA’s rule. Thiez: “After all the other groups file, and we expect more will, then all the appellants will get together and decide on a briefing schedule for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. That will probably occur sometime in the 2nd or third quarter of 2010. Then arguments will occur sometime after. Usually this process takes about two years to complete.” Thiez says NCBA believes there is no scientific consensus that humans cause, or contribute, to climate change. According to the EPA, in 2007, green house gas emissions from the entire U.S. agriculture sector represented less than 6% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
