EPA chief weighs risks of greenhouse gases

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson has shelved his agency’s findings that greenhouse gases are a danger to the public and on Thursday told Congress that he will initiate a lengthy public comment period about whether such emissions are a risk before responding to a U.S. Supreme Court order.

The moves, which mirror what a conservative think tank had suggested to the White House and lawmakers in recent weeks, means there is virtually no chance the Bush administration will act to regulate greenhouse gases in the time it has left in office. The announcement infuriated Democratic lawmakers and attorneys who won the landmark case before the high court last spring.

“This is a transparent delaying tactic and a major reversal of EPA’s position,” said Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills). “The Bush administration is recklessly abandoning its responsibility to address the global warming crisis.”

White House officials did not return calls for comment. An EPA spokesman refuted the criticism, saying, “No matter what is shouted or screamed from the rooftops, this is truly a historic moment. No administration has taken this step to evaluate this new pollutant.”

janet.wilson@latimes.com