What rankles NRDC’s Matzner and other environmental advocates is that legislators such as Rockefeller and Murkowski insist on differentiating greenhouse gases by the source that emits them.

“It’s a totally faulty argument,” Matzner emphasized about the contradiction. “The life-threatening pollution that comes out of tailpipes is the same as that coming out of smokestacks.”

Although early on, industry and government officials acted like “Chicken Little” when talk turned to scrubbing pollutants from tailpipes, he said, those efforts eventually were hailed as sensible.

Now, he said, the EPA is following an equally reasonable path forward with power plants and other big emitters.

“We need to lift the veil on (Rockefeller’s) argument,” Matzner concluded, adding that the senator is clearly trying to protect the fossil fuels industry. “The EPA has a 40-year track record of delivering.

“What they’re offering on stationary sources is a cost-efficient path forward to clean up the air we breathe. Nobody should be against that.”

(Photo: Keith Evans)

See Also

Report: Business Groups Say Clean Air Act Has Been a "Very Good Investment"

Clean Air Act Proving Effective in CO2 Regulation, Lawyers Tell Their Corporate Clients

EPA Says Texas Lawsuit Will Not Thwart Enforcement of 'Tailoring' Rule

Murkowski's Bid to Repeal Science and Block EPA Fails in U.S. Senate: 53 to 47