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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Clearing Up Claims on EPA Fracking Study

Clearing Up Claims on EPA Fracking Study

The Environmental Protection Agency released the draft of a long-awaited study on the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing — fracking — for natural gas on drinking water, and individuals on both sides of the debate have misrepresented the study’s findings.

Santorum and the EPA’s Mercury Rule

Santorum and the EPA’s Mercury Rule

Rick Santorum misrepresented the Environmental Protection Agency’s impact analysis of a new agency rule that would reduce power plant emissions of mercury and other toxins.

Will Power Plant Rules Cause Blackouts?

Will Power Plant Rules Cause Blackouts?

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency told Congress her agency’s proposed rules governing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants will not affect the reliability of electricity service. That’s debatable.

Gingrich’s Inflated Gasoline Claim

Gingrich’s Inflated Gasoline Claim

Newt Gingrich exaggerates when he says the Environmental Protection Agency has a proposal “that would raise the price of gasoline by 25 cents a gallon.” Gingrich’s cost estimate comes from an oil industry study of “clean gasoline” recommendations made by U.S. automakers. The EPA has yet to issue a proposal, and a top agency official says the oil industry study is based on proposals more stringent than those being considered by the EPA.
In addition, there are competing studies that show the possible EPA rule changes would have far less of an effect at the gasoline pump.

Clearing the Air on Perry’s Record

Clearing the Air on Perry’s Record

Texas Gov. Rick Perry cites partly cloudy statistics to back up his boast that Texas is doing just fine cleaning its air on its own — without the EPA. Perry boasts that “we cleaned up our air in Texas more than any other state, during the decade of the 2000s.” …

Front Group Claims EPA Threatens 7 Million Jobs

Chemical and oil lobbies were behind an ad that dogged Obama's Midwestern bus tour, attacking anti-smog regulations proposed by the administration. Their trade groups are among the business organizations backing a front group calling itself the "Coalition for American Jobs," which sponsored the ad.
The TV spot accused the president of "talking jobs" on his Midwestern tour, while his administration is "putting 7 million American jobs at risk" by considering "unnecessary" tightening of anti-smog regulations. The job-loss claim turns out to be based on an industry-sponsored study that predicts astronomical compliance costs.

Cap-and-Trade Cost Inflation

Leading Republicans are claiming that President Obama’s proposal to curb greenhouse gas emissions would cost households as much as $3,100 per year. The Republican National Committee calls it a “massive national energy tax.” But the $3,100 figure is a misrepresentation of both Obama’s proposal and the study from which the …

EPA Tax on Cows and Pigs?

Q: Is the EPA considering a tax on cows and pigs?
A: No. The farm lobby warned that EPA “could” push for such a tax, but EPA never proposed any such thing and says it lacks authority to impose one anyway.