Thank the good lord that someone, somewhere in goberment has common sense.
The EPA, yesterday, blew out of the water California's (and 17 other states) request to set their own CAFE requirements.
The Environmental Protection Agency late Wednesday rejected a request by California and a dozen other states to impose their own strict controls on vehicle emissions, a major victory for automakers.California's emissions rules would require raising fuel economy to an average 43.7 mpg for cars and 26.6 mpg for light trucks by 2016, a more aggressive requirement for automakers.
"The Bush administration is moving forward with a clear national solution -- not a confusing patchwork of state rules," EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson said in denying California a waiver under the Clean Air Act to set emissions standards as a way to cut pollution. "I believe this is a better approach than if individual states were to act alone."
But of course the environuts in California won't accept that, they want the power to punish the automotive industry.
While Wednesday's decision bars states from adopting tougher emissions rules than the federal government's, the battle is not over. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement that California would sue to overturn the decision. But a legal challenge could extend until the end of Bush's presidency, so the EPA's decision may not be revisited before 2009.
Which means if a Dumocrat gets into office in 2009, California will probably get their wishes granted.
And they won't have to spend billions to comply with what they called unworkable rules that would have meant managing their fleets on a state by state basis, potentially forcing them to stop selling certain vehicles in certain states.
I bet it just pisses those environuts that they are not able to outlaw SUV's and Trucks next year. Because that is what this is really about, outlawing vehicles that the environuts don't want people to drive.
YAY!!!!!
Posted by: pam at December 20, 2007 08:35 AM