EPA affirms greenhouse gas regulations delay

EPA on Monday affirmed a decision to delay imposing greenhouse gas emission restrictions on stationary sources like power plants and manufacturing facilities until next year.

“This is a common sense plan for phasing in the protections of the Clean Air Act. It gives large facilities the time they need to innovate, governments the time to prepare to cut greenhouse gases and it ensures that we don’t push this problem off to our children and grandchildren,” EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said in a news release.

The rule relates to when permit requirements to build or expand a large facility will include greenhouse gas emissions standards. In the Monday announcement, EPA said permits will not include greenhouse gases until a final nationwide rule takes effect in January 2011.

An EPA fact sheet and the final notice can be seen here.