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EPA continues to threaten Texas refineries with penalties
Houston Chronicle ^ | 12/8/2010 | Matthew Tresaugue

Posted on 12/13/2010 11:51:43 AM PST by EBH

The EPA has threatened dozens of Texas refiners and chemical and plastic makers with penalties if they don't begin taking steps to bring their air pollution permits into compliance with federal law by late December.

The blunt threat was made in a recent letter by the Environmental Protection Agency's administrator in Texas, heightening tensions in a standoff that has already reached the courts.

Texas has sued to block the EPA from rejecting its so-called flexible permits. On Tuesday, Attorney General Greg Abbott filed a brief in the case, fleshing out his arguments in a July petition that the agency had no legal or technical justification for disapproving the 16-year-old program.

The EPA's rejection of the Texas permitting regime in June is "arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and not in accordance with law," Abbott wrote in the brief for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The EPA has defended the decision, saying the Texas rules fall short of the federal Clean Air Act's requirements. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issues the permits on behalf of the EPA, but the federal agency decides whether they are in compliance with the law.

The flexible permits cover 130 industrial facilities across the state, but most of them have made no attempt to fix their permits, the EPA said.

Last week, the agency sent letters to 74 companies, giving them until Dec. 22 to explain

(Excerpt) Read more at beaumontenterprise.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: co2; energy; epa; epagestapo; gestapo; globalwarming
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To: EBH
We need to develop powerful tools to fight commissions and agencies who are dictating unconstitutional regulations. Here is a great idea

Government Regulatory Reform
21 posted on 12/13/2010 12:46:55 PM PST by orinoco
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To: EBH

Maybe they should stop selling fuel for AF1.


22 posted on 12/13/2010 12:54:48 PM PST by Always Independent
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To: RitaOK

Yep. They don’t have the authority to do any of what they do.

Period.

Time to stop the madness!


23 posted on 12/13/2010 1:05:17 PM PST by TruthConquers (Delendae sunt publicae scholae)
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To: EBH

Texas may just tell EPA to go away & decide to secede from the union.

They have the right to do just exactly that.


24 posted on 12/13/2010 1:16:01 PM PST by ridesthemiles
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To: Jet Jaguar; NorwegianViking; ExTexasRedhead; HollyB; FromLori; EricTheRed_VocalMinority; ...

The list, ping

Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list

http://www.nachumlist.com/


25 posted on 12/13/2010 1:23:08 PM PST by Nachum (The complete Obama list at www.nachumlist.com)
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To: EBH

The local fish wrap tossed a free copy on my driveway yesterday. Took a look to see if they had changed anything since I quite taking them years ago. Nope.

There in the “Opinion” section was a cartoon bashing “Big Oil” for driving up gas prices. Typical. Nothing about the EPA. Nothing about the Fed killing the dollar. Just typical class warfare.

Maybe I need to sic the EPA on them for littering my property.


26 posted on 12/13/2010 1:24:07 PM PST by PogySailor (The ruling class will not go down easily. And neither will their paid hacks.)
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To: EBH

Anyone else notice the likely ethnicity of the EPA’s regional administrator?


27 posted on 12/13/2010 1:33:14 PM PST by SeaHawkFan
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To: Dead Corpse

Perry should go to DC and attempt to get this postponed or stopped. When, inevitably, he fails, he should whip out this gem from Davey Crockett:

“You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas.”

He should then let every federal employee in the State of Texas know that if they attempt to interfere with the operation of any Texas oil refinery, all of which are vital to the economic interests of the residents of this state, that they will be arrested. He should also let the public know that he is soliciting volunteers to augment the Texas State Militia, with all new members having to provide their own weapons. I’d estimate that Rick would get at least 1 million volunteers.

Let’s see what Obambi does about that, besides wetting himself.


28 posted on 12/13/2010 1:53:30 PM PST by Ancesthntr (Tyrant: "Spartans, lay down your weapons." Free man: "Persian, come and get them!")
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To: DallasDeb
How can the EPA shut the refinery down?

By refusing to renew their permit to operate. Big Brother is all over our industries, sticking their nose into every aspect of their operation. They can tell a plant when to run, how much to produce, when to shut down, even fine them if they shut down due to mechanical problems. It's a wonder any industry can operate in the black these days with all the government regulation and intervention.
29 posted on 12/13/2010 1:55:53 PM PST by CottonBall
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To: ridesthemiles

“Texas may just tell EPA to go away & decide to secede from the union.”

I was thinking the same thing....

Texas should tell Washington to Go To Hell and secede from this corrupt union.


30 posted on 12/13/2010 2:03:19 PM PST by july4thfreedomfoundation (A Jimmy Carter got us a Ronald Reagan......A Barack Obama will get us a Sarah Palin)
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To: Ancesthntr

From your lips to God’s ears!


31 posted on 12/13/2010 2:04:33 PM PST by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!
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To: EBH
...arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and not in accordance with law...

Well isn't that the Obama admin in a nut shell?

Wyatt's Torch is needed.

32 posted on 12/13/2010 2:05:04 PM PST by Drill Thrawl (TSA - You don't get on 'til we get off)
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To: EBH

This has the makings of a landmark state’s rights case which has the potential to devastate the federal government’s ability to rule by imperial diktat. Fingers crossed.


33 posted on 12/13/2010 2:05:13 PM PST by denydenydeny (Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views, beyond the comprehension of the weak-Adams)
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To: EBH

34 posted on 12/13/2010 2:12:00 PM PST by No Truce With Kings (I *saw* November from my house.)
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To: Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!
From your lips to God’s ears!

Oh, yeah, I forgot that Perry authorizes all members of the Texas State Militia to not only own full auto weapons, but to have them in their homes (like the Swiss militia). We here in Texas have a LOT of gunsmiths and small manufacturing facilities related to guns - I'd be willing to bet that we could ramp up and produce 100,000 happy switches a month in very short order. It'd be a boon to industry here, and would dramatically increase demand for underwear in every federal building, newspaper office, television studio and university campus.

35 posted on 12/13/2010 2:16:16 PM PST by Ancesthntr (Tyrant: "Spartans, lay down your weapons." Free man: "Persian, come and get them!")
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To: Ancesthntr
Yeah... I don't see Governor "Good Hair" having quite that much testosterone in his system.

Then again, maybe hanging out with Mark LaRue of LaRue Tactical has rubbed off on him in a good way.


36 posted on 12/13/2010 2:17:59 PM PST by Dead Corpse (III%. The last line in the sand)
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To: EBH
zer0 - "By God you are going to embrace a green economy whether you like it or not. My administration intends to shut down all carbon fuel supplies. PERIOD - end of debate."

When the courts disagree he just ignores them.
37 posted on 12/13/2010 2:21:51 PM PST by Cheerio (Barry Hussein Soetoro-0bama=The Complete Destruction of American Capitalism)
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To: Ancesthntr

Time for Texas to vote to recind the treat upon which it was annexed. I believe the state is very self sufficient. Tell Santa Ana (o)bama to GFH.


38 posted on 12/13/2010 2:23:09 PM PST by Mouton
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To: blackdog

That’s one reason the EPA is trying to stop them—so they comply with the law, not just arbitrary approvals.


39 posted on 12/13/2010 2:44:46 PM PST by Gondring (Paul Revere would have been flamed as a naysayer troll and told to go back to Boston.)
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To: denydenydeny

Of course, it could devolve all enforcement to the EPA, taking away any state agency power.


40 posted on 12/13/2010 2:45:58 PM PST by Gondring (Paul Revere would have been flamed as a naysayer troll and told to go back to Boston.)
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