EPA chief ‘respects’ Obama’s smog decision

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson apparently isn’t holding President Obama’s surprise decision to scuttle planned EPA smog rules against him.

“It was a tough call. The president made a tough call and I respect it,” Jackson told San Francisco radio station KQED on Thursday.

Obama this month shelved EPA plans to toughen Bush-era ozone rules — which Jackson has called vital to public health — and pledged a reconsideration in 2013.

Jackson, in the radio interview, cited other gains — such as joint vehicle efficiency and greenhouse gas rules — and focused on battling Capitol Hill attacks on several EPA regulations.

“I am working in this administration and we have a huge green agenda,” Jackson said. “It [the ozone decision] is one decision and we are going to move forward to make sure that, first, we don’t miss and lose all the incredible progress we have made under this president.”

Republicans on Capitol Hill are trying to delay or kill several rules, including upcoming mercury and greenhouse gas standards for power plants.

Jackson said "job one" is protecting the upcoming power plant mercury rules and "job two" is protecting the recently finalized Cross-State Air Pollution rule.

She also vowed to move ahead with the power plant greenhouse gas standards, which won't be proposed by the end of September as initially planned. E2 will have more on that later Thursday.

Jackson also said she is focused on “green jobs” efforts, and bristled at claims by GOP White House candidates — echoed on Capitol Hill — that EPA regulations are “job killers.”

“That is just nonsense,” she said. “We are talking about basic public health protections. The Clean Air Act is the best public health investment Americans have made for themselves in the last 40 years. Over $2 trillion in health benefits over the 40 year history of the Clean Air Act.”

—This post was updated at 5:10 p.m.