Washington, D.C. – Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today sent a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy highlighting serious problems that were outlined by the agency’s own independent scientists about the science supporting EPA’s new rule for power plants.

The Work Group charged with reviewing EPA’s major regulatory actions recently released a memo that recommends a thorough review of the science underpinning the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) proposal.  The memo highlights the fact that EPA rushed ahead with its NSPS proposal without waiting for the advice of the agency’s independent scientists and that the underlying science lacked adequate peer review. 

Chairman Smith: “The EPA’s regulations must have a sound scientific and technical basis.  This principle cannot be compromised. The agency should not act to unilaterally impose regulations on the American people, particularly when its own advisors have expressed reservations regarding the science on which those regulations are based. 

“Given the massive effect of this rule on the American economy, the agency cannot afford to cut corners.  The agency’s stubborn insistence on placing its judgment above that of its science advisors raises serious concerns that the EPA’s rulemaking is based more on partisan politics than sound science.  Although EPA lawyers may find creative ways to skirt the law, the American people hold the agency to a higher standard.  EPA must quickly correct this problem; the time for excuses has passed.”

The full letter can be found here.