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Charles T. Drevna, president of the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA), issued the following statement on 10^th December regarding the decision by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on the motion by NPRA and several other trade associations to partially stay implementation of pending Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations.

‘Today, yet another blow was dealt in favour of overreaching government regulation and against the economic well being of the American people. EPA’s plan to control greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act is a clear distortion of current environmental law and Congress’ intent when the Clean Air Act was enacted. We're disappointed that the court has chosen to deny our motion for a partial stay of EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations. Today’s action means that EPA’s invasive and misguided regulations will be imposed on our nation’s businesses and manufacturers at the beginning of 2011.’

‘The Clean Air Act has been an effective tool for doing what it was meant to do – improve air quality in cities and communities throughout the country. The law was simply never designed or intended to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases, and no amount of wishful thinking or flawed reasoning on EPA’s part will make it so.’

‘Unfortunately, today’s court decision only further enables EPA to continue down the road of costly, ineffective regulation of our nation’s economy. The environmental benefits of EPA’s actions to control greenhouse gases will be negligible at best, but the consequences of these economically harmful regulations will be felt by every American family.’

The motion to stay EPA’s June 3^rd, 2010 Prevention of Significant Determination and Title V Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule, filed in August by a coalition of organisations including NPRA, was before the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The rule, along with EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from a variety of stationary sources, is scheduled to go into effect January 2^nd, 2011.