O/T Chamber, Business Groups Urge Senate to Delay EPA’s Carbon Rules

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Chamber, Business Groups Urge Senate to Delay EPA's Carbon Rules

By Kim Chipman - Oct 28, 2010 5:31 PM ET

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-28/chamber-business-groups-urge-senate-to-\

delay-epa-s-carbon-rules.html

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is among 21 business groups urging senators to

stop the Environmental Protection Agency's regulation of greenhouse gases when

they return to Washington after the Nov. 2 election.

The groups want lawmakers to add language in a government spending measure next

month that would prevent the rules from taking effect early next year. Congress

in September passed a bill to keep government operating after failing to adopt a

budget. The measure kept most government programs operating until Dec. 3.

The EPA is set to begin regulating greenhouse gases from power plants and

stationary polluters starting Jan. 2. The rules, along with limits on vehicles,

will mark the first U.S. rules to cut carbon-dioxide pollution, a main

heat-trapping gas blamed for climate change. Opponents say the measure will hurt

businesses already dealing with a sluggish economy.

" There is an urgent need to delay EPA's implementation of the stationary source

rules, " the Chamber, the largest U.S. lobbying group for businesses, and other

organizations said today in letters to senators including Republican Leader

Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat.

EPA Administrator has said that the carbon regulations will be

modest steps that will result in a reduction of greenhouse gases over time. She

said in August that President Barack Obama would veto any attempt to strip the

EPA's authority to regulate carbon emissions.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kim Chipman in Washington at

Kchipman@....

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Larry Liebert at

LLiebert@....