California close to waiver to regulate car emissions

The long battle between California and the federal government over whether the state can adopt its own standards to control greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles appears to be drawing to an end.

President Obama had signaled in his campaign that he supported the state's right to set its own rules, which more than 15 states plan to follow.

Today the Environmental Protection Agency set in motion a review which seems likely to grant the state's waiver to the Clean Air Act. The crackdown on automobile emissions is a key component of California's plan to slash its carbon footprint over the next 12 years by 15%. See our colleague Jim Tankersley's post on the Washington blog the Swamp.

--Margot Roosevelt

Comments

[NADA Public Affairs]

NADA Urges EPA to Give a Fair Review of California Waiver Decision

The following is a statement of John McEleney, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, in reaction to the Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement on the California waiver public comment process:

“It is apparent from its notice that EPA has all but made up its mind to allow for state-by-state fuel economy/greenhouse gas regulations, which is contrary to the President’s statement against a 'confusing and patchwork set of standards that hurts the environment and the auto industry.' The nation’s auto dealers instead urge EPA to have a fair and frank national debate over the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) continued campaign to regulate fuel economy at the state level. We are confident that once all the facts are known, the Administration will decide that the best policy is to maintain a single, national fuel economy standard. The state-by-state patchwork approach, advocated by CARB, should be rejected once and for all. The California approach is riddled with exemptions, loopholes and unintended consequences that are counterproductive to the stated goals of advancing energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”