Rounds Questions Administration's Commitment to Public Input on Social Cost of Carbon Estimates

U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D), a member of The Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), joined EPW Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), David Vitter (R-La.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) in sending a letter to Howard Shelanski, administrator for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), on the social cost of carbon (SCC) estimates. Today's letter renews congressional oversight interest in the SCC, questioning OIRA's commitment to accept public input on the SCC and to keep the public informed of the status of the secretive Interagency Working Group (IWG) developing the SCC estimates.

"Congress and the American people deserve greater transparency and government accountability regarding the social cost of carbon (SCC)--a theoretical measure of climate change damages the Administration uses to justify onerous regulations," the Republicans said in the letter. "In fact, the Administration has not provided the public with any new information on the status of the SCC since the 2013 update. Accordingly, we write to request OIRA--as a steward of the regulatory process and IWG--fulfill its obligation to be fully responsive to the public and Congress in these matters."

The SCC is key to all the Administration's climate benefit claims. Last Congress, Senate Republicans raised a number of concerns with the SCC estimates, including a lack of transparency in the IWG's process for developing the estimates, failure to comply with regulatory guidance, technical deficiencies in the models used, questionable assumptions selected, and lack of public participation. Subsequently, OIRA--the office convening the IWG--agreed to provide public comment on the estimates in November 2013. The comment period closed over a year ago on Feb. 26, 2014, and they have not responded to the comments or provided any public information on the status of the SCC. Yet, the administration has continued to use the SCC estimates to justify burdensome regulations.

"Above all, it is only reasonable for the public to know how OIRA plans to use their comments. We want to encourage public participation in the regulatory process, not stifle it by ignoring those individuals who engaged in the process by submitting comments," the Republicans concluded in the letter.

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