After EPA rejects California, emissions court battle looms

After EPA rejects California, emissions court battle looms

www.csmonitor.com

Boston and Los Angeles - The Environmental Protection Agency's decision to refuse California's request to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions from automobiles is all but certain to provoke lawsuits that could tie the matter up in court, potentially delaying action to curb those emissions for years.

But the move might be struck down – or an injunction granted – in months, if courts find the EPA acted against the advice of its own lawyers, legal experts say. The decision also holds potential for Congress to become involved as debate over climate-change legislation accelerates.

In the surprise announcement Wednesday, EPA administrator Stephen Johnson said that fuel-economy standards in the brand-new energy law would cut greenhouse-gas emissions nationwide and thus make unnecessary sometimes contradictory state regulations.

"The Bush administration is moving forward with a clear national solution – not a confusing patchwork of state rules," Mr. Johnson said. "President Bush and Congress have set the bar high, and, when fully implemented, our federal fuel economy standard will achieve significant benefits by applying to all 50 states

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California and a few other states are proposing to set their own standards for CO2 emissions from automobiles however the EPA has decided to refuse their request. The EPA is saying that the Bush Administrations high standards for fuel ecomomy in autos will cut emissions nationwide and thus eliminate the necessity for individual state requirements.

This makes sense to me as otherwise automakers would have to produce specially made autos for each state thus raising production costs signifacantly.

This is similar to California's special requirements for gasoline formulation which BTW is the reason California has about the highest gasoline prices in the nation! Funny how California drivers don't realize this reality because they blame gasoline producers rather than their own legislators!

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Good. One less thing for me to feel sorry for Californians about. It's already more expensive to buy, drive, maintain and assuming you can, upgrade a car titled there. Fat CARB bastards. And what did it get them? Streets full of funny lookin' things driven by funny lookin' people.

[edit on 23-12-2007 by apc]

reply to post by apc

Hi apc,
Californians seem to like legislation which does't benifit their pocketbooks and doesn't necessarily eleviate their envoronmental problems. That is part of the California delima. Also why Californians are fleeing the state to other areas of the West. Why would one want to live there other than the favorable climate (for several months of the year). Border pressure plus political correctness from Holliwood and San Fran Sicko is too much IMHO!

The conflict here, however, is a state's rights issue. California et al wants to mandate their own CO2 emission levels for autos. The EPA apparently doesn't want states to have this authority, at least not just yet. There will be years of court challenges, states vs. the Fed. The EPA apparently has some in house authority of control over the states given to them by US congress. The courts will spend millions sorting it out!

Originally posted by plumranch
This makes sense to me as otherwise automakers would have to produce specially made autos for each state thus raising production costs signifacantly.

Not true.

They'd only have to target the tightest regulation, then they pass for all of them!
I'd caulk that up as one benefit of letting states go ahead with this.


I'll be perty surprised if the Bush administration takes any sort of serious action on carbon emissions. Almost as surprised as I'd be if the Harper government did the same!

reply to post by plumranch


I saw the states' rights issue, but I don't think it really applies. California can deny business licenses to any dealer they want, that's fine. But if this was to be the same as their other CARB mandates, you wouldn't even be able to title a car there that didn't meet their own GHG standards. If your car didn't, it's not like other emissions problems where you can just make the necessary repairs. You'd have to buy another, much more expensive car.

They already sniff the tailpipe there. The car's and the driver's. They're nazis it seems just for the sake of being nazis. Their gun control laws are already unconstitutional. They don't need any more excuses to rape their own people. The harm caused would extend beyond their borders, making it a federal issue.