Contact: Marc Morano (202) 224-5762 Marc_Morano@epw.senate.gov
Inhofe, Barrasso Call for Transparency from EPA
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) released a letter sent to EPA administrator Lisa Jackson demanding transparency in the agency. President Obama has publicly stated his Administration will create “an unprecedented level of openness in Government” and “ensuring the public trust and establish a system of transparency.”
“[We] would appreciate your providing [us] a comprehensive list of all the actions from the Bush Administration, including Regional actions, you or your staff are now reviewing or reconsidering, or reasonably expect to review or reconsider, for any reason. This would be consistent with your pledge of ‘overwhelming transparency’ as one of the fundamental values of your tenure,” Senator Inhofe and Senator Barrasso wrote in the March 4, 2009 letter.
“In any case, please explain the process you will use to notify the Committee about any other reviews or rulemaking you will undertake that fall under the Committee’s jurisdiction. I would also appreciate it if you would provide a full explanation for the statutory, regulatory and scientific basis for each review or reconsideration, and the expected due date for each,” Inhofe and Barrasso added.
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Full Text of Letter:
March 4, 2009
The Honorable Lisa Jackson
Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Dear Administrator Jackson:
On January 20, 2009, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, instructed you and the other heads of Executive departments and agencies to review pending regulations from the prior Administration. I understand you have already begun that process.
In addition, you are reevaluating the previous Administrator’s decision to deny the waiver of Clean Air Act preemption for California’s Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards for New Motor Vehicles. You are undertaking that review pursuant to a January 26, 2009, memorandum to you from President Obama.
You are also reconsidering the previous Administrator’s memorandum interpreting the applicability of the Prevention of Significant Deterioration program to carbon dioxide. You did this pursuant to a petition from several parties.
Given these three examples of reviews you are undertaking, and recognizing there may be others, I would appreciate your providing me a comprehensive list of all the actions from the Bush Administration, including Regional actions, you or your staff are now reviewing or reconsidering, or reasonably expect to review or reconsider, for any reason. This would be consistent with your pledge of “overwhelming transparency” as one of the fundamental values of your tenure.
In any case, please explain the process you will use to notify the Committee about any other reviews or rulemaking you will undertake that fall under the Committee’s jurisdiction.
I would also appreciate it if you would provide a full explanation for the statutory, regulatory and scientific basis for each review or reconsideration, and the expected due date for each.
Please provide a response no later than March 13, 2009.
If you have any questions, please contact Matthew Hite on my staff at (202) 224-6176 or Brian Clifford on Senator Barrasso’s staff at (202) 224-6441.
Sincerely,
__________________________ __________________________
James M. Inhofe John Barrasso
United States Senator United States Senator
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Related Files
- Inhofe Oversight Letter - oversightltr1a.pdf (407.8 KBs)
