EPA’s bright idea

For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed legislation that would control greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants, factories and refineries, according to The Associated Press.

The proposal would require major industrial polluters—which are responsible for 70 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions in the United States—to reduce six greenhouse gases by installing state-of-the-art technology and improving energy efficiency in new and significantly remodeled buildings.

Many industry groups have frowned upon the proposal, saying the Clean Air Act already covers any facility that releases more than 250 tons of a recognized pollutant each year, and the EPA’s new proposal would require more facilities to fall under new regulations.

However, environmentalists say the efforts go hand-in-hand, and using the authority of the Clean Air Act allows the EPA to reduce emissions from large facilities without placing an “undue burden” on businesses that are the backbone of the U.S. economy, said Lisa Jackson, EPA administrator.