November28,2012
Hon.LisaP.Jackson,Administrator
UnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgency
ArielRiosBuilding,1200PennsylvaniaAvenue,N.W.,Room3000
Washington,D.C.20460
Jackson.lisa@epa.gov
VIAEMAILANDCERTIFIEDMAIL
Subject:
NoticeofIntenttoFileSuitunderSection304oftheCleanAirActforFailureto
RespondtoPetitionforRulemakingunderSections211and231oftheCleanAirAct
DearAdministratorJackson:
OnJuly29,2009,theInstituteforPolicyIntegrityattheNewYorkUniversitySchoolofLaw(“Policy
Integrity”or“Petitioner”)submittedaformalpetitiontotheAdministratoroftheUnitedStates
EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA),pursuanttotheAdministrativeProcedureAct,5U.S.C.
§553(e),andtheCleanAirAct,42U.S.C.§7401etseq.,toinitiatearulemakingprocedureunder
theCleanAirAct.
PolicyIntegrity’spetitionrequestedthattheAdministratorproposeandadoptregulations
institutingacap‐and‐tradesystemtocontrolemissionsofgreenhousegasesfromfuelsusedin
motorvehicles,nonroadvehicles,andaircraft,underSections211and231oftheCleanAirAct,42
U.S.C.§§7545,7571.
Specifically,PolicyIntegritypetitionedtheAdministratortotakethefollowingactions:
(1)
MakeafindingunderSection211thatgreenhousegasemissionsfromfuelsusedin
motorandnonroadvehiclesandenginescauseorcontributetoairpollutionthat
mayreasonablybeanticipatedtoendangerpublicwelfare;
(2)
Proposeacap‐and‐tradesystemtocontrolgreenhousegasemissionsfromfuels
usedinmobilesourcesundertheauthorityofSection211;
(3)
MakeafindingunderSection231thatgreenhousegasemissionsfromaircraft
enginescauseorcontributetoairpollutionthatmayreasonablybeanticipatedto
endangerpublicwelfare;
(4)
ProposeajointrulemakingwiththeFederalAviationAdministrationtoincorporate
fuelsusedinaircraftintothecap‐and‐tradesystemestablishedunderSection211;
and
(5)
Finalizeregulationsonbothproposalswithin90daysoftheissuanceofsuch
proposedstandards.
139 MacDougal Street, Third Floor • New York, New York 10012 • (212) 992-8932 • www.policyintegrity.org
Becauseoftheurgencyoftheproblemofglobalwarming,PetitionerrequestedthatEPAbeginthis
rulemakingprocess“immediately.”Morethanthreeyearshavepassedsincethepetition,yetPolicy
Integrityhasreceivednoresponsetoitspetition.
TheCleanAirActprovidesthat“thedistrictcourtsoftheUnitedStatesshallhavejurisdictionto
compel...agencyactionunreasonablydelayed,”42U.S.C.§7604(a)(3).Apersonintendingtofile
suitforunreasonabledelaybyEPAmustprovidenoticeofthisintention180daysbefore
commencingsuchaction.ThisletterconstitutesnoticeofPolicyIntegrity’sintenttosueboth
forfailuretorespondtoitspetitionandalsoforfailuretocommencerulemakingsunder
Sections211and231oftheCleanAirAct.
Section211ofthestatuteauthorizesEPAtoregulatefuelsandfueladditivesusedinmotorvehicles
andnonroadvehicles.AsdiscussedinPolicyIntegrity’spetition,Section211(c)providessufficient
discretiontoEPAto“control”or“prohibit”themanufactureoffuelthroughacap‐and‐trade
program,aftermakinganendangermentfindingwithrespecttoafuelorfueladditive.Policy
Integrity’spetition,therefore,requestedthatEPAmakeanendangermentfindingwithregardtothe
contributiontoairpollutionfromthegreenhousegasemissionsfrommotorandnonroadvehicles.
EPAhasnotactedonthisrequest.
Section231ofthestatutegivesEPAauthoritytoestablishemissionsstandardsapplicableto
aircraftengines,andsubsection(a)(2)(a)providesthat“[t]heAdministratorshall,fromtimeto
time,issueproposedemissionstandardsapplicabletotheemissionofanyairpollutantfromany
classorclassesofaircraftengineswhichin[her]judgmentcausesorcontributestoairpollution
whichmayreasonablybeanticipatedtoendangerpublichealthorwelfare.”Theword“shall”makes
thislanguagenondiscretionary,asafederaljudgehasrecentlyconfirmed,Ctr.forBiological
Diversityv.EPA,794F.Supp.2d151,159(D.D.C.2011).PolicyIntegrity’spetition,therefore,
requestedthatEPAimmediatelymakeanendangermentfindingunderSection231withrespectto
greenhousegasemissionsfromaircraftfuelsandalsothatEPAproposeajointrulemakingwiththe
FederalAviationAdministrationinordertoincorporateaircraftfuelsintothecap‐and‐trade
program.EPAhasnotactedonthisrequest.
Inconclusion,EPAhasnotrespondedtoPolicyIntegrity’spetitionforarulemakingtoreduce
greenhousegasemissionsfrommotorvehicles,nonroadvehicles,andaircraftthroughthe
implementationofacap‐and‐tradesystemunderSections211and231oftheCleanAirAct.Given
theclearlinkbetweengreenhousegasemissionsandglobalwarming,EPA’sdelayinactingandin
respondingtoPolicyIntegrity’spetitionisinconsistentwiththeagency’slegalrequirementsand
scientificdeterminations.Thus,PolicyIntegrityintendstofilesuit180daysafterthedateofthis
notice.
PleasenotethatPolicyIntegrity’saddresshaschangedsincethetimeofitspetition,andpleasefeel
freetocontactustodiscussthebasisfortheseclaims,ortoexplorepossibleresolutionstothese
claimsshortoflitigation.
Respectfullysubmitted,
MichaelA.Livermore
JasonASchwartz
INSTITUTEFORPOLICYINTEGRITY
ATNEWYORKUNIVERSITYSCHOOLOFLAW
139MacDougalStreet,ThirdFloor,NewYork,NY10012
(212)998‐6093(p)
jason.schwartz@nyu.edu
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