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Twenty-One Senators Press EPA on Emissions Standards

 

April 03, 2006 — By Erica Werner, Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Twenty-one senators called on the Environmental Protection Agency

on Friday to let California implement stricter restrictions on vehicle

emissions, which other states could then enact.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said this week that new gas

mileage rules would pre-empt state emissions standards, leading to fears that

EPA would refuse to give California the waiver it wants to restrict greenhouse

gas emissions from vehicles.

 

Because California began regulating pollution before the federal government did,

it has special authority under the Clean Air Act to set its own vehicle

pollution standards if it gets a waiver from EPA. Other states can adopt either

the federal standards or California's rules.

 

California air regulators approved rules in 2004 to cut exhaust from cars and

light trucks by 25 percent and from larger trucks and sport utility vehicles by

18 percent starting in 2009. Ten other states have also adopted those standards,

which are opposed by automakers, but the rules can't be implemented until

California gets a waiver. EPA has yet to grant one.

 

" In the face of federal inaction on global warming, California, Maine and the

other states have stepped forward to begin reducing the pollution that causes

global warming. We are concerned that you may be preparing to argue that the

states lack authority to do so, " said a letter to EPA Administrator Stephen

Johnson signed by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and

others.

 

Snowe was among five Republicans who signed the letter, as did independent Sen.

James Jeffords of Vermont and 15 Democrats.

 

" Rather than attempting to thwart such state efforts, the federal government

should encourage states to develop innovative solutions to serious public health

and environmental problems, " the letter said.

 

EPA spokesman John Millett said he had no immediate comment, noting that the

agency still was reviewing the waiver request.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Wednesday rolled out

tighter gas mileage rules for pickups and sport utility vehicles. The agency

argued in its rule that Congress has " expressly pre-empted " states from issuing

their own rules on mileage standards, and that any state law limiting carbon

dioxide emissions would qualify as such because it would have the direct effect

of regulating fuel consumption.

 

The 10 states that have adopted California's vehicle emissions rule are Maine,

Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode

Island, Vermont and Washington.

 

Source: Associated Press

 

 

 

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