Court Freezes Bids to Stop EPA Greenhouse 'Endangerment' Finding

"A panel of federal judges in Washington, D.C., has set aside 17 challenges that seek to force U.S. EPA to review its scientific finding that greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare.

The motions from industry groups, state attorneys general and members of Congress ask the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to remand the finding to EPA in light of recent controversies involving the climate science that provided much of the basis for the agency's decision. The 17 motions were combined into a single case, Coalition for Responsible Regulation Inc. v. EPA.

At stake are the agency's plans to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases from automobiles and stationary sources, which hinge on the "endangerment" determination. That finding was developed in response to the Supreme Court's 2007 decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, which held that the agency was required to decide whether the gases qualify as pollutants under the Clean Air Act."

Gabriel Nelson reports for Greenwire June 18, 2010.