Protecting Polar Bears Not Meant to Address Climate Change

The U.S. Department of Interior this week announced the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species, citing declining sea ice because of global warming in the Arctic, the bear's critical habitat.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne emphasized the decision should not be "misused" to impose global warming legislation.

The decision comes a day before a court-imposed deadline on deciding whether the bear should be put under the protection of the Endangered Species Act.  This is the first time this legislation has been used to protect a species threatened by the impact of global warming.

There has been concern within the business community that such action could have far-reaching impact and could be used to regulate carbon dioxide.

Contact Deidra Ciriello.

Agency Defends Mercury Emissions Trading Plan

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, Robert Meyers, informed the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee the agency would continue to pursue a cap-and-trade program to regulate mercury emissions.

The action would be counter to a U.S. Court of Appeals decision rejecting the program as a violation of the Clean Air Act. 

In 2005, the EPA removed electric utility steam-generating facilities from Section 112 list of hazardous sources in favor of the emissions trading program. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) has sponsored legislation that would require coal-fired power plants to implement state-of-the-art technology to reduce their mercury emissions by 90 percent, and Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has introduced a bill that would prohibit the export of elementary mercury overseas. 

Committee Democrats sharply criticized the EPA’s mercury policies while Republicans expressed concerns on fuel switching from coal to natural gas.

Contact Jessica Hogle.

Presidential Hopeful Vows To Cap Emissions

Republican Presidential Nominee and Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) this week reiterated his support for a mandatory cap on greenhouse gases, promising if elected to submit legislation to Congress that would require a 60 percent reduction in U.S. emissions below 1990 levels by 2050. 

To achieve these reductions, Senator McCain would employ a cap and trade program, pointing to the successes of the acid rain program.   Senator McCain has not endorsed S.2191, the Warner-Lieberman climate change bill, because it does not include provisions to spur the growth of nuclear power. 

Contact Jessica Hogle.

Senate Renews Flood Insurance Program

The U.S. Senate voted to extend until 2013 a federal program that insures millions of homes against floods, as well as to forgive $17 billion in debt the program built up as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created by Congress to help homeowners and businesses situated in flood-prone regions get affordable insurance not usually available from the private insurance market.

The bill includes a number of measures aimed at putting the 40-year-old flood insurance program on a better financial footing. Included is an amendment offered by Senator James DeMint (R-S.C.) that directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to consider using nationally recognized building codes to ensure future development in flood prone areas can better withstand flood events.

The 92-6 vote sends the bill to negotiations with the House, which passed similar legislation last September.

Contact Robert Sullivan.

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