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Ozone Air Quality Standards: EPA's 2015 Revision

Description: This report discusses the standard-setting process, the specifics of the current and most recent reviews, and issues that may be raised as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brings the current review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone to completion.
Date: January 5, 2015
Creator: McCarthy, James E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Recent Trends and Factors

Description: A question for policy makers is whether U.S. GHG emissions will remain at current levels, decrease to meet the President's 2020 and 2025 goals, or increase to former (or even higher) levels. Multiple factors, including socioeconomics, technology, and climate policies, may impact GHG emission levels. The first section of this report provides current levels and recent trends in U.S. GHG emissions. The second section takes a closer look at some of the key factors that influence emission levels. Th… more
Date: November 24, 2014
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Agency Actions Following the Supreme Court's Climate Change Decision: A Chronology

Description: This report presents a chronology of major federal agency actions taken in the wake of Massachusetts v. EPA. In Massachusetts v. EPA, the Court held that greenhouse gases (GHGs), widely viewed as contributing to climate change, constitute "air pollutants" as that phrase is used in the Clean Air Act (CAA). As a result, said the Court, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had improperly denied a petition seeking CAA regulation of GHGs from new motor vehicles by saying the agency lacked … more
Date: December 3, 2010
Creator: Meltz, Robert
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

EPA's Clean Power Plan Proposal: Are the Emission Rate Targets Front-Loaded?

Description: On June 18, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed regulations (the "Clean Power Plan") addressing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating units. This report briefly discusses this proposal.
Date: November 3, 2014
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Lessons Learned and Issues for Policy Makers

Description: The first section of this report provides an overview of the RGGI cap-and-trade program and the participating RGGI states. The subsequent sections discuss selected issues raised by RGGI that may be of interest to policy makers. The final section provides some final observations that may be instructive to policy makers.
Date: November 14, 2014
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Federal Agency Actions Following the Supreme Court's Climate Change Decision: A Chronology

Description: On April 2, 2007, the Supreme Court rendered one of its most important environmental decisions of all time. In Massachusetts v. EPA, the Court held that greenhouse gases (GHGs), widely viewed as contributing to climate change, constitute "air pollutants" as that phrase is used in the Clean Air Act (CAA). As a result, said the Court, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had improperly denied a petition seeking CAA regulation of GHGs from new motor vehicles by saying the agency lacked a… more
Date: December 23, 2010
Creator: Meltz, Robert
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Geoengineering: Governance and Technology Policy

Description: This report is intended as a primer on the policy issues, science, and governance of geoengineering technologies. The report will first set the policy parameters under which geoengineering technologies may be considered. It will then describe selected technologies in detail and discuss their status. The third section provides a discussion of possible approaches to governmental involvement in, and oversight of, geoengineering, including a summary of domestic and international instruments and ins… more
Date: August 16, 2010
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi; Lattanzio, Richard K. & Barbour, Emily C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Particulate Matter (PM): EPA's 2006 Revisions and Associated Issues

Description: This report provides an analysis of the EPA's final 2006 revisions to the particulates National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), and an overview of the estimated costs and benefits of the revised standards and of more stringent alternatives analyzed. The report highlights concerns and issues raised regarding the 2006 revisions to the particulates standards, including those of the science advisory committee (CASAC), and actions in Congress.
Date: March 14, 2013
Creator: Esworthy, Robert
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Role of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap-and-Trade Program: Potential Benefits and Concerns

Description: This report discusses offsets in relation to a greenhouse gas emissions cap-and-trade program. The first section of this report provides an overview of offsets by discussing different types of offset projects and describing how the offsets would likely be used in an emission reduction program. The next section discusses the supply of offsets that might be available in an emission trading program. The subsequent sections examine the potential offset benefits and the potential concerns associated… more
Date: June 2, 2008
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Lessons Learned and Issues for Policymakers

Description: This report discusses recent actions taken by state and local governments to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The first section of this report provides an overview of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) cap-and-trade program and the participating RGGI states. The second section discusses selected issues raised by RGGI that may be of interest to policymakers who are considering developing a federal program. The final section provides some final thoughts concerning the RGGI progr… more
Date: May 21, 2013
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Air Quality: EPA's 2013 Changes to the Particulate Matter (PM) Standard

Description: This report summarizes Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) January 15, 2013, final and June 2012 proposed changes to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and includes comparisons with previous (1997 and 2006) promulgated and proposed standards. Key actions leading up to the agency's determination, and potential issues and concerns associated with changing the Particulate Matter annual standard, are also highlighted.
Date: January 23, 2013
Creator: Esworthy, Robert
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Aviation and Climate Change

Description: This report provides background on aviation emissions and the factors affecting them; it discusses the tools available to control emissions, including existing authority under the Clean Air Act and proposed economy-wide cap-and-trade legislation; and it examines international regulatory developments that may affect U.S. commercial airlines.
Date: August 4, 2009
Creator: McCarthy, James E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Cars, Trucks, and Climate: EPA Regulation of Greenhouse Gases from Mobile Sources

Description: This report discusses the full range of EPA's authority under Title II and provides information regarding other mobile sources that might be regulated under this authority, in addition to describing the car and truck regulations.
Date: March 13, 2014
Creator: McCarthy, James E. & Yacobucci, Brent D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Ocean Acidification

Description: This report discusses the increasing concern, within the scientific community, that rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could detrimentally alter marine ecosystems. The report discusses how ocean acidification happens, its possible outcomes, as well as natural and human responses that could possibly limit or reduce the rate of the process.
Date: May 27, 2010
Creator: Buck, Eugene H. & Folger, Peter
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Ozone Air Quality Standards: EPA's 2015 Revision

Description: This report discusses the standard-setting process, the specifics of the current and most recent reviews, and issues that may be raised as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brings the current review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone to completion.
Date: October 3, 2014
Creator: McCarthy, James E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

EPA's Upcoming Ozone Standard: How Much Will Compliance Cost?

Description: This report briefly discusses upcoming changes in climate policy and cost associated with them. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is under a court order to complete a review of its ambient air quality standard for ozone (the "ozone NAAQS") by October 1, 2015. The agency must propose any change to the standard by December 1 of [2014].
Date: October 15, 2014
Creator: McCarthy, James E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Keystone XL: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Assessments in the Final Environmental Impact Statement

Description: This report examines the findings and methodology of the State Department's Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Keystone XL pipeline project, which analyses the potential Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in regards to the construction, upkeep, and operation of the pipeline.
Date: March 7, 2014
Creator: Lattanzio, Richard K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Role of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap-and-Trade Program: Potential Benefits and Concerns

Description: This report discusses offsets in relation to a greenhouse gas emissions cap-and-trade program. The first section of this report provides an overview of offsets by discussing different types of offset projects and describing how the offsets would likely be used in an emission reduction program. The next section discusses the supply of offsets that might be available in an emission trading program. The subsequent sections examine the potential offset benefits and the potential concerns associated… more
Date: September 22, 2008
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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