The Obama administration today quietly posted a notice on the White House Office of Management and Budget website announcing it was moving forward with greenhouse gas limit rules for coal-fired power plants.

The notice, posted here, indicates that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency yesterday filed for OMB review a copy of its proposed rule, Greenhouse Gas New Source Performance Standard for Electric Generating Units.

Recall that EPA had entered into a legal settlement with environmental groups, promising to issue a proposed rule by July 26, 2011, and a final rule by May 26, 2012. EPA missed that deadline, and has been negotiating with environmental groups and states who sued to try to force agency action.

EPA spokeswoman Cathy Milbourn Betsaida Alcantara said in a statement:

Consistent with a Supreme Court ruling in Mass vs EPA, the EPA has sent OMB a proposal for review that would address greenhouse gas pollution standards for new power plants. EPA will work with OMB throughout the interagency review process and will issue the proposal when this review is complete. EPA has engaged in an extensive and open public process to gather the latest and best information. The agency is fully considering this input as it develops smart, cost-effective and protective standards. The agency will be soliciting additional comment and information at the time that it proposes the new source rule and will take that input fully into account as it completes its process for this rule.