KTUU: Murkowski plans to block EPA's regulation of greenhouse gases
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski plans to introduce a resolution of disapproval to block the EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
Murkowski wants to overturn the EPA's endangerment finding that greenhouse gases threaten people.
She claims it's up to Congress to pass an emissions law, but the White House told the EPA to prepare to move forward.
Environmentalists say Murkowski is trying to protect businesses before people, saying issues of climate change could be disastrous for Alaska.
"Murkowski is now trying to basically override a Supreme Court ruling in order to protect businesses. And it's very ironic because the state of Alaska and the people of Alaska are going to be hurt by global warming worse than any state or people in the rest of the country," said Kieran Suckling, the executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity.
"This finding is supposedly rooted in concerns about the public health and the public welfare, but what it really endangers are jobs, economic recovery, and American competitiveness," Murkowski said.
The environmental community expects the resolution to fail.
Murkowski tried unsuccessfully in September to prevent the agency from spending money to regulate stationary sources of greenhouse gases.
She claims lawmakers need more time to work on climate legislation.
Source: By Aston Goodell. Originally broadcast by KTUU on December 14, 2009
