This Bush is Not Green

EPA director Johnson blocked California's request to have stricter car emissions standards because the White House told him to. This comes from his deputy's Hill testimony today claiming that Johnson thought the waiver from the Clean Air Act was legal and was going to grant the waiver until the Administration stepped in and ordered it quashed - so there could be a nationwide (weak) standard. Johnson claimed, under oath, that the decision was his alone. California wanted to cut GHG from cars by 30% by 2016.

(via Meals) Also, the Labor Department is fast-tracking a rule to weaken regulations on chemical exposure in the workplace. Businesses argue that the present assumption that workers are exposed for 45 years is no longer realistic. The new regulation came from the policy shop - skipped OSHA and other safety organizations review - and will add layers of bureaucracy to the process to blunt any future attempt to re-strengthen the policy.