Senate Republicans are questioning whether EPA's proposed study on the environmental and human health impacts of hydraulic fracturing could exceed the scope of Congress' mandate for the agency to assess drinking water impacts, saying the agency's attempt to assess emissions and equity impacts is beyond the scope of its authority.

Texas and Wyoming are warning that EPA's policy exempting the proposed Avenal natural gas power plant from greenhouse gas (GHG) permitting requirements undermines the agency's takeover of GHG permitting in the two states, saying it shows EPA's claim that it had no choice but to impose GHG permitting on the states is false.