EPA sought most lenient ozone standard before Obama pulled plug

“I made a different recommendation. That is no secret,” Jackson said.

Some Republicans at the Energy and Commerce Committee hearing Thursday sought to use Obama’s decision to attack Jackson. Republicans accuse EPA of pursuing burdensome rules and are seeking to delay and soften several air different air-pollution regulations.

“We’re basically saying, ‘let’s take a timeout until the economy can regain its footing,’ and that is what the president acknowledged when he pulled back on the ozone standard,” said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas).

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) said “even the president has acknowledged that you have gone too far.”

Obama — citing the need to reduce regulatory uncertainty during the
economic recovery — said on Sept. 2 that he did not want to implement a new
smog standard that will be reconsidered so soon.

“Work is already
under way to update a 2006 review of the science that will result in the
reconsideration of the ozone standard in 2013,” Obama said three weeks
ago. “Ultimately, I did not support asking state and local governments
to begin implementing a new standard that will soon be reconsidered.”

But the White House is also pledging to battle GOP efforts to thwart several other EPA rules, including upcoming mercury standards for power plants.

—This post was updated at 12:20 p.m.