Massachusetts v. EPA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Massachusetts v. EPA - Research Paper Example Believing that global warming is one of the most threatening environmental challenges of its time, the state’s government and private organizations filed a petition that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not carry out its responsibilities under the Clean Air Act. Further arguments were made on the issue that EPA was supposed to regulate the greenhouse gases under the Act which stated that the Congress should regulate ‘any air pollutant’ that can ‘reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare.  The petitioners asked the court to answer some specific questions related to the issue. They were concerned about the statutory authority that EPA holds to regulate the emissions of greenhouse gases from the new motor vehicles, and if they do whether their reasons of refusing are consistent with the statute or not. EPA denied the petition and claimed that the Clean Air Act does not suggest that the Agency should regulate the emissions of the greenhouse gases. EPA further argues that even if the Clean Air Act did authorize these gases to be regulated by the Agency, they will wait for more research that could be done on the causes, and the significance of climate change and the potential options for addressing it.  The questions that came out, in this case, were many and this case was a tipping point in the history as to clarify the authorities of the EPA towards the state. The first question that came forward was that whether the EPA should decline to issue the emission standards for new motor cars based on the policy considerations which were not enumerated in the Clean Air Act. And the other question that was brought out, in this case, was the real issue under which the court had to make a decision and this was that does the Clean Air Act give the authority to the Agency to regulate carbon dioxide and the other greenhouse gases.