WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday denied 10 petitions challenging EPA's 2009 finding that climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health and the environment.
The EPA received petitions questioning the scientific basis for the so-called endangerment finding -- which cleared the way for the EPA to curb carbon dioxide emissions -- from states such as Texas and Virginia and groups like the Ohio Coal Association.
With the U.S. Senate abandoning climate measures in the energy bill until at least September, the EPA has the legal clearance to regulate emissions from such human activities as coal-fired power plants and fossil-fueled factories and vehicles.
"The endangerment finding is based on years of science from the U.S. and around the world," EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said in a statement. "These petitions -- based as they are on selectively edited, out-of-context data and a manufactured controversy -- provide no evidence to undermine our determination."
The EPA received petitions from the Coalition for Responsible Regulation, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Ohio Coal Association, the Pacific Legal Foundation, the Peabody Energy Company, the Southeastern Legal Foundation, the State of Texas, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and one private citizen.
Some of the petitioners had filed their complaints in federal courts.
(Editing by Sandra Maler)
