Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt assured states on Thursday that they do not have to comply with any part of the Obama-era climate regulations for existing power plants, known as the Clean Power Plan.
“The days of coercive federalism are over,” Pruitt declared in a letter sent to state governors. “Accordingly, I look forward to working with you, your state experts and local communities as we develop a path forward to improve our environment and bolster the economy in a manner that is respectful of and consistent with the rule of law.”
The letter was sent in fulfilling one of EPA’s obligations under the “Energy Independence Executive Order” that President Trump signed Tuesday.
Pruitt emphasized in the letter that the Supreme Court halted the regulation more than a year ago and that states “have no obligation to spend resources to comply with a rule that has been stayed by the Supreme Court.”
The Justice Department on Wednesday asked the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to suspend its review of the Clean Power Plan as the EPA conducts its own review of the regulation.
If the appeals court upholds the regulation, although even proponents don’t completely believe it will survive entirely, the Supreme Court halt would still stay in place. And the EPA and the Trump Justice Department will have to take their fight over the regulation to the high court.
Governors in California, Washington and Oregon have said they will intensify their own efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many scientists blame the emissions from the burning of fossil fuels for causing the Earth’s temperature to rise, resulting in catastrophic sea-level rise, ocean acidification and more severe storms.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors issued a statement Wednesday night opposing Trump’s executive order and the rollback of the Clean Power Plan.
“The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports the Clean Power Plan as an essential next step to address and lower greenhouse gas emissions as part of our nation’s responsibility to address global warming,” said Tom Cochran, CEO and executive director of the mayors organization. “The U.S. utility sector must be part of the solution and the [power plan] is a framework to ensure necessary reductions from this sector.”
He also said that the mayors stand behind the 2015 Paris climate change accord. Trump has not decided if he will withdraw from the non-binding United Nations’ agreement.
The White House said Thursday that a decision is expected to come in May. The climate agreement is expected to come up in talks on April 6-7, when Trump hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida.
