Republican spending measure would block EPA climate rules

A fiscal 2012 spending bill unveiled Wednesday by House Republican appropriators includes a policy rider that would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and refineries for one year. It is the latest effort by the House GOP to delay the agency’s climate regulations, which Republicans and some Democrats argue will impose huge costs on the economy. The spending bill, which will come up for a vote Thursday in Simpson’s subcommittee, includes a slew of other policy riders that reflect House Republicans’ energy and environmental priorities. Other policy riders include provisions preventing federal regulators from moving forward with regulations intended to protect streams from mountaintop-removal coal mining; language blocking a change in the definition of “navigable waterways” under the Clean Water Act; and a provision exempting some agriculture activities from greenhouse-gas reporting requirements...more

The bill gives the BLM $1 billion, a puny $63 million cut from last year. It also gives them $4.8 million for land acquisition. The only significant cut is to the FWS budget in the amount of $315 million which is 21 % below last year.

You can read the bill here and the Committee press release is here.