Jul 12, 2008, 20:09 GMT
Washington - The chief US environmental agency on Friday began seeking public comment on the dangers of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, a move that is likely to stall any federal action on climate change until 2009.
The Environmental Protection Agency's action comes more than one year after the US Supreme Court in a landmark ruling said that carbon dioxide must be considered an air pollutant, a decision that forced the EPA to consider regulating it under existing US laws governing air pollution.
But EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson continued to reject the court's finding in a conference call with reporters, suggesting the agency would not take action until Congress passed a law specific to climate change.
Johnson argued the 1990 Clean Air Act, which the Supreme Court said obligated the agency to consider climate regulation, was 'ill- suited' and would lead to years of further litigation.
'If our nation is truly serious about regulating greenhouse gases, the Clean Air Act is the wrong tool for the job,' Johnson said.
Friday's notice opens up the issue to public comment for at least 120 days, or until mid-December.
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