EPA Rejects CA Vehicle Emissions Request

On Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency denied 17 states, including California, the right to set their own standards for greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks. The decision was handed down after almost 2 years of delay by the EPA.

The original law passed by California in 2003, required a Clean Air Act waiver from the EPA, which was filed in 2005. When no action was taken, CA was joined by 16 other states in a case that went to the Supreme Court, attempting to force the EPA to regulate GHG . Last spring the Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision stating that the EPA has the right and responsibility to regulate greenhouse gas. When the EPA made no public decision concerning the state law, California again took the agency to court in November for failure to act. With Wednesday's decision to deny states the right to control their own tailpipe emissions, CA will once again take the EPA to court.

Under the Clean Air Act, California is allowed to pass it's own emissions control regulations. During the past 30 years, California has been granted 40 waivers. Wednesday's decision was the first waiver to be denied.

See the Source:
The Daily Green
Enviro.BLR.com
The New York Times


green news
global-warming