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Christie Administration Seeks to Repeal Greenhouse Gas Regulations

Two months after a state appeals court ruled that Gov. Chris Christie's administration broke the law in the way it pulled New Jersey out of a regional agreement aimed at reducing carbon dioxide pollution, the state plans to submit an official proposal to repeal regulations tied to the program.

Two months after a state appeals court ruled that Gov. Chris Christie's administration broke the law in the way it pulled New Jersey out of a regional agreement aimed at reducing carbon dioxide pollution, the state plans to submit an official proposal to repeal regulations tied to the program.

 

Environmentalists say even though he's agreed to follow the procedure ordered by the court, the Republican governor is making a mistake by not rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative — especially in the wake of Hurricane Sandy's devastation.

 

It's the latest development in an ongoing fight over Christie's decision in 2011 to unilaterally withdraw New Jersey from RGGI, a nine-state "cap-and-trade" program. Under the pact, power plants are assigned an amount of carbon dioxide they can release, though they can buy or sell credits to increase or decrease emissions.

 

But when Christie ended New Jersey's participation, the state Department of Environmental Protection posted a notice telling power plants they no longer had to adhere to the rules.

Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
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