EPA chief previews defense against GOP assaults

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson provided a glimpse Monday of how she’ll defend the agency against attacks on EPA rules — especially climate regulations — that are likely to intensify when Republicans control the House next year.

Speaking before a mostly friendly audience at the nonprofit Aspen Institute, Jackson emphasized the Clean Air Act has long provided health benefits that outweigh the costs of compliance. She said the cost-to-benefit ratios range from 15-1 to 30-1.

“The Clean Air Act is bar none the strongest of the laws in terms of costs and benefits,” Jackson said, speaking at an event the think tank hosted to mark EPA’s 40th anniversary.

She reiterated comments from a recent interview with The Hill in which she accused opponents of peddling inaccurate “doomsday” scenarios.

Jackson also said predictable rules of the road will help industries.

EPA rules aimed at curbing greenhouse-gas emissions from stationary industrial plants like power plants and factories are slated to begin taking effect next year. She called the measures “common sense” and “moderate.”

Jackson said environmental rules have a proven history of spurring creation of domestic industries such as manufacturing of pollution control devices for power plants.

She also said the public is on the side of low-carbon energy.

“Overwhelmingly, Americans believe that clean energy is a sector that we should be investing in,” she said. "The environment is not a partisan issue. It shouldn’t be.”

Jackson’s comments come as Republicans seeking to lead the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee are promising to make various EPA rules — such as upcoming ozone pollution standards — an early focus of their oversight.

Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) — a frontrunner for the Energy and Commerce post — has vowed to take aim at “job-killing” EPA regulations. He said this month that he would drag EPA officials in front of the panel so often that “we will give them their own parking place in the horseshoe of the Rayburn building.”

At the same time, many Republicans and some Democrats are seeking to nix EPA’s power to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) is seeking a vote on legislation that would block for two years EPA’s climate rules for industrial plants.