WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation, wants to put climate change science on trial. In an attempt to head off a U.S. EPA finding that climate change endangers public health and welfare in the United States, the Chamber Tuesday petitioned the federal agency for a trial-like hearing of the scientific evidence before an administrative judge or EPA official. ‘An endangerment finding would give rise to the most far-reaching rulemaking in American history,’ the Chamber said in its petition. ‘Before embarking on that long, costly process, EPA ought to do everything possible to assure the American people of the ultimate scientific accuracy of its decision.’ ‘In short, an on-the-record proceeding is not only desirable, but in this instance it is necessary if EPA is serious about its proclaimed commitment to ‘overwhelming transparency,’ scientific integrity, and a resolution based solely on the record of the scientific evidence,’ the Chamber said. What the Chamber called an ‘on-the-record’ proceeding in its petition was given a more inflammatory name by William Kovacs, the Chamber’s senior vice president for environment, technology and regulatory affairs, in an interview with the ‘Los Angeles Times.’ Jury in the […]