POSTED: Monday, March 21, 2011 - 4:11pm
UPDATED: Monday, March 21, 2011 - 7:44pm
AUSTIN — Republican lawmakers representing Texas in Congress say they will fight attempts by the Environmental Protection Agency to enforce tougher rules.
U.S. Representatives Joe Barton and John Carter accused the EPA
of being too tough on Texas following a meeting with state leaders.
They said recent steps by the agency to reduce the state's
regulatory powers are a clear case of federal overreach. They vowed
to introduce legislation to stop the EPA from enforcing stricter
pollution rules.
The EPA and the Obama administration have repeatedly said that
Texas is not properly enforcing federal law. When the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality said it would not act on EPA
instructions, the agency took away the state's power to grant
pollution permits.
The dispute began when President Barack Obama took office.