WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- Washington should do away with regulations regarding ozone, greenhouse gas emissions and fuel standards as part of an effort to cut spending, the API said.
Howard Feldman, director of regulatory and scientific affairs at the American Petroleum Institute, welcomed plans announced by the White House to eliminate extraneous regulations.
The White House announced Tuesday it was removing regulations it viewed as outdated or unnecessary as part of a plan to save businesses $10 billion. Cuts outlined by the White House include the elimination of some reporting requirements from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as the streamlining of various tax forms at the Internal Revenue Service.
Feldman, however, said the government needs to get rid of regulations in the energy sector, adding federal officials don't have the authority to regulate issues such as carbon dioxide anyway.
"The administration needs to put its money where its mouth is and stop these out of control regulations," he said in a statement.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new ozone standards while U.S. President Barack Obama has unveiled a series of renewable and energy-efficiency strategies.
The EPA is a frequent target of the API, which represents more than 480 oil and natural gas companies.
