ADEQ director Steve Owens (as found at www.adeq.gov)
The Arizona Legislature has sent Gov. Janet Napolitano some more veto bait, although this is a rare case where I’m glad lawmakers did so. The House voted 36-22 today on the final version of HB2017, which says the state Department of Environmental Quality can’t try to regulate greenhouse gas emissions until granted specific permission by the Legislature. The bill previously passed the state Senate.
Since ADEQ regulation of greenhouse gases is a centerpiece of Napolitano’s climate change initiative, Republican lawmakers are obviously making a point rather than expecting this bill to become law. And they are right, as Napolitano and ADEQ director Steve Owens are overstretching the agency’s air quality mandate to include carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that traditionally were not defined as pollution.
Fortunately, the biggest issue to come out of Napolitano’s campaign so far, regulating motor vehicle emissions, can’t go into effect unless or until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is forced to allow states to step into this arena.
But passage of HB2017, even with a Napolitano veto, will give at least a little weight to any lawsuits filed against ADEQ to stop further action before the Legislature actually establishes state policy on greenhouse gases.
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