Beam me to Planet Gore !
Posted on 05/25/2010 10:27:17 PM PDT by smokingfrog
Objecting to how Texas regulates air pollution, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it is taking over the issuance of an operating permit for a Corpus Christi refinery and could step in at some 39 other major facilities across the state.
“I think the writing will be on the wall — unless we start seeing better permits that address our objections, we are very likely to begin federalizing others,” EPA Regional Administrator Al Armendariz said in a telephone interview. “The state is not following federal Clean Air Act requirements.”
Tuesday's unprecedented action affected a Flint Hills Resources refinery in Corpus Christi. The EPA's action means the facility must submit an application with detailed information to the federal agency, which could approve or deny a permit.
The company said it was evaluating a letter from the EPA notifying plant officials of the move.
The list of facilities that could come next the include chemical plants, refineries and other facilities, such as the Goodyear Tire & Rubber plants in Bayport and Houston, the Motiva Enterprises Houston terminal, Rhodia Inc.'s Houston plant, the Chevron Phillips Cedar Bayou facility and Valero's Texas City facility. Other company permits that have drawn scrutiny from the EPA include Exxon Mobil, Dow Chemical Co. and Formosa Plastics.
“We've never objected to 40 permits issued by a state permitting authority, and we've not federalized a permit in a state in this manner before unless we were requested to do so by a state or a particular facility,” Armendariz said. “The action we're taking today, together with the 40 objections, is unprecedented.”
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Hugo Chavez would be proud.
Communism is upon us. This is an unabashed and unconstitutional power grab by the feds.
In the not too distant past this would be enough of a cause for either secession or the start of a revolt.
Will Americans take this lying down, or actually come to their senses and put an end to this unconstitutional nonsense?
Ping.
Ping.
They are doing the very exact thing they did to auto, bank; etc.
It’s time to stop them.
Ping!
If the Dems are certain they are gonna lose big in November, they have nothing left to lose. They're gonna let their socialist freak flag fly.
So the complaint is that the Feds can’t monitor State permitted plants? There’s no proof that the Clean Air Act is being violated? The Feds hate right to work states. They hate that we have jobs and successful business in Texas. It’s about jobs and power. It’s time to sunset the EPA.
Ah, ANOTHER shoe drops.
‘slowly I turn, step...by step....’
Sadly Americans voted this Marxist regime into power. Fifty years of government school and media indoctrination plus degradation of traditional cultural norms through "popular culture" has done their destructive work. The socialist boa constrictor is tightening its coils for the kill.
Too many power grabs for comfort.....
At this point, Texas is doing the feds a favor by not seceding. I believe Texas is the only big state that isn’t a drain on the country.
Where’s Rick? Is he going to stand by and let this go on?
Thanks AAC! This will give Texas the opportunity to tell the federales to put it where the sun don’t shine. At the same time give us an opportunity to see what they’re made of. Maybe Perry could call Arizona’s guvnah for some pointers???
Al is a third generation Texan, descended from Mexican and Mexican-American grandparents who settled in the border city of El Paso. Born and raised in El Paso, he graduated from Coronado High School in 1988. He has also lived in
Houston, Albuquerque and New Orleans. Al currently lives in Dallas with his wife Cynthia, a public school teacher in Irving ISD, and two sons, Ferris and Simon.
Al Armendariz , a Southern Methodist University engineering professor who has sharply criticized federal and state regulators for not cracking down on North Texas polluters, was named on Thursday as the Environmental Protection Agency’s new regional administrator over Texas and four adjacent states.
Armendariz , 39, an El Paso native, has found fault with Texas’ efforts on Dallas-Fort Worth smog, saying that the state’s programs did too little and that the EPA erred in approving them.
Armendariz will help carry out the Obama administration’s policies on curbing global warming, enforcing federal laws on air and water quality and toxic waste, and pushing for overhauls of Texas’ air pollution rules.
“I think the president and Lisa Jackson have clearly put the EPA on a different track,” Armendariz said Thursday. He cited moves toward controlling greenhouse gas emissions, tightening rules on toxic substances, and renewing efforts to protect communities, especially low-income, minority, and border areas, from pollution.
Just an anecdotal note.
I lived in Dallas for 12 years and didn’t notice a smog problem. First I’ve heard of a smog problem there. I should have heard or seen something in the local paper or news about it.
States need to start thinking about creating a new fed.
Wow! This is bad news. I think it is time for states to begin the process of break all bonds with the federal govt. At minimum this might distract the Feds from their daily power grabs and shine some light on the power grAbs as they happen. At his pace the federal govt will own everything by the time 2012 comes along. The vote em out strategy is a failing strategy. It’s time...
The 18 to 30 vote put him over the top. They are about to grow up fast. Axelrod’s game of using the kiddies (he did it to get Deval Patrick in too) has about played out I think. Can’t see another wave of Obama Zombies...the former wave will laugh at them for being the idiots they were.
Sarah Palin could be helpful on this one.
What exactly is meant by “federalizing” Texas refineries?
Just when Obama is on the ropes for his handling of the Gulf Oil Leak out comes the EPA power grab to punish oil and chemical polluters.
And the administration's man uses words the Enviro-wakkos like to hear when talking about big new enforcement efforts such as “Unprecedented”.
I can just imagine the tingle running up their legs.
Exactly. Air pollution certainly affects states downwind and Texas needs to play by the rules. But how do we know they didn't and this isn't just an excuse by Obama to federalize another industry?
We’ve never objected to 40 permits issued by a state permitting authority, and we’ve not federalized a permit in a state in this manner before unless we were requested to do so by a state or a particular facility,” Armendariz said. “The action we’re taking today, together with the 40 objections, is unprecedented.”
Texas to EPA: Don’t mess with Texas.”
Really, Texas legislature needs to criminalize this unconstitutional invasion by EPA.
Calling Rick Perry
Has anyone seen Rick Perry?
<<<(crickets)>>>
Good for recognizing the problem, Perry. Yeah, it's called the 10th Amendment.
But enough talk — do something about it or the Federal government will
start shutting down these plants if it doesn't meet their “requirements”.
Well, a little over a month ago the Bamster said that he was “comin’ for Texas.”
Thanks for the ping!
Nationalized refinery licensing?
$10 gal. (or higher) gasoline prices.
Time to dig into Armendariz’s life. Little thugs working for The One usually have some nifty skeletons or some kind of fraud in their background.
Thanks for the ping.
Private ownership, government control.
Isn’t that the textbook definition of fascism?
Nationalize.
Anything and everything the Feds can do to screw Texas, will and has been done at the behest of the current administration...
And they will not stop...
Yep. How long will people let the Feds play this game?
We have to fight the Federal Beast.
If we had a real conservative governor we’d seceed. I doubt the former united states could push the Republic of Texas around much since they’d need our oil.
He was last seen combing his hair getting ready for his photo shoot for the new add for the “Coyote Pistol” named in his honor.
Who says we’d sell it to them???
;-)
This is how you test what your governor is made of. He has the duty to throw the EPA out for gross disrespect for state sovereignty.
But what’s he going to do? This is a really big deal. Especially after saying it’s a power grab. His statement doesn’t really leave much room for compromise so what’s he going to do? Spin it as a campaign issue?
When you lived there, carbon dioxide was not an EPA recognized pollutant. Can't see it, can't smell it, can't taste it, but you better believe they can regulate it.
Don’t let the feds get ‘em. Burn the NMFers to the ground first. Eff these plunderers!
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