The petitioner is requesting the State Air Pollution Control Board adopt regulations to: 1. Ensure that carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels peak in the year 2012; 2. Adopt a carbon dioxide emissions reduction plan that, consistent with the best available science, reduces state-wide fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions by at least 6% annually until at least 2050, and expands Virginia's capacity for carbon sequestration; 3. Establish a state-wide greenhouse gas emissions accounting, verification and inventory and issues annual progress reports so that the public has access to accurate data regarding the effectiveness of Virginia's efforts to reduce fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions; and 4. Adopt any necessary policies or regulations to implement the greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan, as detailed in 1 and 2 above.  

The State Air Pollution Control Board received the petition on June 10, 2011. In accordance with the Administrative Process Act, the Board will receive comments from the public on whether or not to initiate a rulemaking for 21 days after publication of the notice of receipt of the petition is published in the Virginia Register of Regulations. The notice will be published in the July 4, 2011 issue of the Register and the public comment period will run from July 4, 2011 through July 25, 2011. A copy of the petition is available on the Department of Environmental Quality's web site, www.deq.virginia.gov, under Air Public Notices. During discussions at the Board meeting staff was asked to provide, when the petition is presented for a decision, information for the Board's consideration on the following: what are the impacts on the regulated community; is the requested action feasible; how would it be enforced; is a state-by-state approach appropriate; how would a determination be made that any regulation adopted had achieved the stated purpose of the regulation. Public comment on these items will also be accepted from July 4, 2011 through July 25, 2011.