The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) multi-pronged effort to regulate industrial emissions under the existing federal Clean Air Act has been for years — and continues to be — a highly politicized process involving heavy lobbying by interest groups of all kinds (WGI Oct. 13,p9). However, documents obtained by WGI through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request highlight some notable shifts in the process since President Barack Obama took office in 2009. Throughout its two-year, ongoing effort to weigh tougher limits on ozone pollution, for instance, the semi-autonomous EPA under Obama has relied heavily on the recommendations of environmental organizations and White House directives. Previous administrations leaned more on industry input — such as a 153-page comment letter submitted by Exxon Mobil in 2007 regarding the EPA's emissions standards at the time.
展开▼
