The Environmental Protection Agency is making steps towards changing the policy of regulating carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants. The EPA got closer to tossing aside a Bush administration memorandum under which the agency has no power to impose limits on emissions.

The EPA new administrator, Lisa Jackson, said on Tuesday the agency will reconsider the rule issued by the Bush administration in December under which new coal-fired power plants are allowed to open without taking in consideration the carbon emissions.

However, until changes, the memorandum issued in December by the former EPA administrator, Stephen Jackson, remains in effect. Jackson advised companies constructing coal power plants that taking only the Bush administration rule in consideration would be a mistake.

Nevertheless, the granting of petition by the Sierra Club - one of three groups that called for the reconsideration - to reconsider Mr. Johnson’s controversial memorandum was hailed by environmentalist groups as another step towards changing the Bush administration rule on carbon dioxide emissions in  coal-fired power plants.

In its grant to the environmental groups' request to reconsider the Bush era rule, and in a letter to environmentalist, Lisa Jackson called for a period of public comment on the issue before issuing a new rule. Jackson said she wants “a fair, impartial and open process” that will allow U.S. citizens and shareholders to review the issues in the original memorandum.

"EPA's fundamental mission is to protect human health and the environment and we intend to do just that," the EPA head said.