Statement by Gov. Rick Perry on the EPA's Denial of Texas Petition

Statement

Gov. Rick Perry today issued the following statement regarding the EPA's denial of a Texas petition challenging the EPA's 2009 endangerment finding for greenhouse gases, which would lead to further mandates and regulations on Texas businesses and place Texas jobs at risk:

"I'm disappointed, but hardly surprised, given this administration's ongoing disregard for Texas air quality successes and Texas jobs. The State of Texas will continue to fight this federal overreach by unelected bureaucrats through appropriate legal action, which I hope will allow us to continue our effective environmental programs while protecting countless Texas jobs.

"In February the state filed a Petition for Review with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that is still pending. The state's legal action asserts that EPA's Endangerment Finding is legally unsupported because the agency outsourced its scientific assessment to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which has been discredited by evidence of key scientists' lack of objectivity, coordinated efforts to hide flaws in their research, attempts to keep contravening evidence out of IPCC reports and violation of freedom of information laws.

"Texas has a record of working proactively to protect natural resources and improve environmental quality. We have reduced nitrogen oxide emissions by 53 percent, cut ozone levels by 22 percent and reduced carbon dioxide emissions more than nearly every other state, all without government mandates or extravagant fines. Rather than making traditional energy sources more expensive, Texas leaders continue to support making alternative energy technologies less expensive, thereby encouraging widespread commercial use and removing barriers to innovation and competition."

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