Attorney General Rowe Applauds Supreme Court Decision Directing The EPA to Enforce the Clean Air Act

April 2, 2007

Today the United States Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide from automobile emissions and that by not doing so the EPA ignored its responsibility.

?What this decision means is that the EPA will have to make decision based on the science of global warming and not factors that have nothing to do with the Clean Air Act.? Rowe stated. ?We expect the EPA will have a hard time proving that CO2 does not contribute to global warming.?

Maine joined the suit with eleven other states including, Massachusetts, FILL IN STATES

In its decision Justice John Paul Stevens outlined three main points.

1) That States have standing to challenge the EPA 2) The EPA has the authority to regulate CO2 3) The EPA has failed to provide valid reasons as to why the will not enforce its authority.

The Attorney General added, ?Climate change not only impacts the environment which we live, it also harms our health and economy.? Rowe cited industries such as fishing, skiing, maple sugar and forestry that would feel the devastating impact of climate change.

The Supreme Court also ruled on Environmental Defense vs. Duke Energy Corp., a case involving a loophole in the Clean Air Act. Rowe reacted to the Courts unanimous decision by saying, ?The power industry has waged a forceful campaign against New Source Review. Today the Supreme Court said its time that power plants use the technology available to them to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and other harmful pollutants that result in smog and acid rain.?

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NEWS RELEASE April 2, 2007 DAVID LOUGHRAN, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (207) 626-8577 OR david.loughran@maine.gov