Washington, 23 July (Argus) — A House Appropriations subcommittee yesterday barely rejected a proposal to block federal greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations for two years as part of a larger spending bill for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The amendment by Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio) fell on a 7-7 vote by the Interior and Environment Subcommittee. All five Republicans on the panel voted for the measure, along with Reps. Allan Mollohan (D-West Virginia) and Ben Chandler (D-Kentucky).

The amendment was nearly identical to legislation co-sponsored by Mollohan that would prohibit EPA from regulating stationary source GHG emissions for two years. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia) and may get a vote later this year.

The panel also rejected a LaTourette amendment to prevent EPA from updating its National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone. EPA in January proposed setting a more stringent eight-hour primary ozone standard within a range of 0.060-0.070ppm, reconsidering a decision by the agency's former administrator, Stephen Johnson. The amendment lost, 5-8.

The subcommittee also voted along party lines to reject an amendment to exempt biomass from the calculation of GHG emissions and permitting requirements for GHGs under the Clean Air Act.

The subcommittee approved the overall $32.2bn bill, which includes $10bn for EPA's fiscal year 2011 budget. The $455.5mn in the agency's budget for climate change adaptation and scientific efforts will be spread among many programs, including $42mn for climate change research, $58mn for EPA and state regulatory programs and $129mn for EPA Climate Protection Programs and Grants.

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