Upton vows fight against EPA climate rules for power plants and refineries

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to set greenhouse gas emissions standards for power plants and refineries drew a quick threat from Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), the incoming chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee.

"We will not allow the administration to regulate what they have been unable to legislate — this Christmas surprise is nothing short of a backdoor attempt to implement their failed job-killing cap-and-trade scheme,” Upton said in a statement.

“Today's announcement marks a crescendo in the EPA's long regulatory assault against America's energy producers. The EPA has its foot firmly on the throat of our economic recovery,” he said.

But the planned rules drew praise from a senior Senate Democrat. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said the EPA is taking a “measured and reasonable step” toward curtailing pollution that she said threatens children and families.

“These pollution-control standards would apply to some of the largest emitters of dangerous pollution across the country, while also encouraging investment in the nation’s clean energy technologies,” Boxer said in a statement.