A green light for rules on auto emissions
Judge defies auto industry, allows states to regulate pollution
Washington and other states trying to reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions celebrated a court victory Wednesday when a federal judge ruled that California can regulate carbon dioxide coming from cars, light trucks and sport utility vehicles.
Two years ago Washington adopted California's more stringent pollution rules -- but legal challenges and the Environmental Protection Agency's failure to act on the regulations threaten to delay their implementation.
They're scheduled to phase in beginning with 2009 model year vehicles -- some of which start selling next year. Emission standards would become tougher each year until 2016, when new vehicles sold in Washington would have to produce 30 percent fewer greenhouse gases than current federal standards.
Wednesday's decision by U.S. District Judge Anthony Ishii in Fresno, Calif., marked a major defeat for the auto industry, which claimed that California did not have the authority to regulate planet-warming pollutants from vehicles.
In its lawsuit against the state, the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers argued that it was the federal government's responsibility to establish one uniform fuel economy standard. Without one, manufacturers would be forced to produce vehicles using too many different efficiency standards, raising the cost of cars and eliminating some model choices.
California is the only state that can set its own tailpipe pollution standards because it started regulating air pollution before the EPA was created. Other states can choose the California or federal rules.
But the states are still waiting for the EPA to issue a waiver allowing for the stricter rules. California first asked for it two years ago. Last month, California was joined by Washington and 13 other states in suing the agency to try to force it to take action.
"California has probably requested more than 40 waivers from standards on emissions. For some reason this one seems to be frozen in time," said Seth Preston, spokesman for the Washington Department of Ecology.
"It's crucial for us to be able to have this set of standards that will help lower greenhouse gas emissions, which are helping to produce climate change."
This is the fourth ruling supporting stronger standards.
Continue reading this article from the Seattle P-I:
A green light for rules on emission output
