Richmond – On Tuesday afternoon, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli filed a challenge in federal court to the Environmental Protection Agency’s endangerment finding which was issued in December 2008. The EPA finding declared, in accordance with a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, that carbon dioxide is a danger to public health and a cause of global warming.
“The Attorney General’s filings yesterday, nor his statements today, should come as a surprise to Virginians,” said Environment Virginia Advocate J.R. Tolbert. “Mr. Cuccinelli and his allies are placing the Commonwealth at risk for political maneuvering.”
At heart in the argument is whether or not carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas pollutant that can be regulated by the EPA. In 2007, the United States Supreme Court ordered the EPA to determine whether carbon emissions are a threat to human health. That ruling started a process that was overseen by the Bush and Obama EPA’s which determined that based on scientific analysis, greenhouse gas emissions are in fact a health hazard.
“While big polluters and critics of clean energy policies continue to deny the danger of greenhouse gas emissions, experts responsible for protecting the American public from health hazards have concluded that greenhouse gases are pollutants from which we need to be protected,” continued Tolbert.
Environment Virginia also points to concerns that the Attorney General’s challenge places areas of the commonwealth at greater risk to the consequences of global warming. The group cites, research conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences which shows that Virginia is the second most at-risk area of the country to rising sea levels.
“We need to put aside political posturing and focus on protecting the Commonwealth from air pollution and global warming. There’s a better way forward for Virginia with renewable energy and energy efficiency, and we need our elected officials to lead the way in repowering Virginia’s economy with these clean sources.
