2nd UPDATE:Calif Officials See Quick EPA Action On Emissions Law
26 Januar 2009 - 10:51PM
Dow Jones News
California officials said Monday they expect the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency to act quickly to reverse a Bush
administration decision that blocks the state's tailpipe emissions
law, following an order from President Barack Obama.
Obama on Monday ordered the EPA to consider allowing California
to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions from automobiles, a policy
that could spur the development of new vehicles.
"Allowing California and other states to aggressively reduce
their own harmful vehicle tailpipe emissions would be a historic
win for clean air and for millions of Americans who want more
fuel-efficient, environmentally-friendly cars," California Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "It is clear that
California and the environment now have a strong ally in the White
House."
In March last year, the EPA denied California's request for a
waiver that would have allowed it to proceed with a tailpipe
emissions law established in 2003. Under current law, California
may make its own auto-emissions rules as long as it receives a
waiver from the EPA. Other states may then adopt California's
standards or choose the federal standards.
California officials last week asked the Obama administration to
reverse the decision, over which the state has filed multiple
lawsuits.
California Attorney General Jerry Brown said he thinks the EPA
will act quickly to grant California's waiver.
"They may put some conditions on it, but it means the tough
standards of California will eventually be the rule for more than
40% of the cars sold in America," Brown said.
He noted that California would withdraw its legal complaints
after the waiver is granted.
Vermont adopted California's tailpipe emissions standard and
successfully defended the standards in federal court last year
against legal challenges by auto makers. Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas
said Monday he was grateful to see progress on California's waiver
request.
"President Obama has seized an extraordinary opportunity to take
concrete and speedy action on his pledge to address climate
change," Gov. Douglas said in a statement.
It was unclear whether auto manufacturers that have sued
California over its vehicle emissions law would continue with those
complaints.
General Motors Corp. (GM) said it "is working aggressively on
the products and the advanced technologies that match the nation's
and consumers' priorities to save energy and reduce emissions,"
although the company declined to provide details.
Brown of California said that he hoped the Obama administration
and Democratic members of Congress would require U.S. auto makers
to abandon the lawsuits as part of the government's rescue package
for Detroit.
"I'm confident that the president and Congress will rein in the
auto companies as part of the bailout," Brown said.
But auto industry allies in Washington warned that the emissions
regulations would exacerbate the auto industry crisis.
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., said the policy would "destroy" jobs
in Michigan, although he acknowledged there was no way to know how
the regulations would affect taxpayers and workers.
Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., called for a bipartisan effort to
develop national standards on tailpipe emissions and fuel economy.
"This consistency as well as certainty going forward is important
as our domestic industry accelerates necessary efforts to
restructure and re-tool to meet increasing fuel standards," Levin
said in a statement.
Fourteen states, including California and Vermont, plan to
implement California's tailpipe emissions standard as soon as the
waiver is granted. The standards are designed to cut greenhouse gas
emissions from cars by 30% by 2016, according to the California Air
Resources Board.
By rejecting California's request for a waiver under the Clean
Air Act - the first time the agency has ever refused to grant such
a waiver - the EPA effectively blocked any state from regulating
vehicle greenhouse-gas emissions.
Earlier this year, Democratic senators asked the U.S. Justice
Department to investigate whether former EPA administrator Stephen
Johnson made false statements to Congress when he testified that
his decision to deny the wavier was made independently. A former
EPA official said Johnson had planned to grant California's waiver,
but changed his mind under pressure from the Bush
administration.
Other states that plan to adopt the vehicle emissions standards
include New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Arizona, New Mexico,
Oregon, Washington State and the District of Columbia.
-By Cassandra Sweet, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-439-6468;
cassandra.sweet@dowjones.com
(Siobhan Hughes and Josh Mitchell in Washington contributed to
this story.)
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