The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency formally denied California’s
request for a Clean Air Act waiver of preemption today, blocking the efforts of
thirteen states that seek to require automakers to cut pollution from
automobile tailpipes.
“The EPA has turned a blind eye to science, law and the critical
role that the states are playing in tackling global warming,” said Doug
O’Malley, Environment New Jersey’s field director. “If the Bush administration isn’t going to
lead the way on global warming, the least they can do is get out of the way of
states that are taking action.”
In late 2004, California adopted first-of-their-kind
standards requiring cars and light-duty trucks to limit emissions that
contribute to global warming. Since
then, 12 other states—Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New
Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and
Washington—have adopted the tailpipe standards that will cut emissions from new
automobiles by 30 percent by 2016. At
least five other states, including Arizona, Minnesota and Florida, are moving
ahead with adoption of the program.
The EPA sat for two years on California’s request for a
waiver under the Clean Air Act before EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson
announced in December 2007 that the agency would bar implementation of the
standards. Now, there is evidence that
Administrator Johnson acted against a unanimous recommendation of the agency’s
professional staff.
“The agency’s failure to give states the go-ahead marks a clear
political choice to cater to powerful special interests rather than moving America
forward in the fight against global warming,” said O’Malley.
California and more than a dozen other states have filed
suit against the EPA for failing to heed science and the law in denying
California’s request for a federal waiver of pre-emption under section 209(b)
of the federal Clean Air Act.
In addition, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has introduced
legislation (S. 2555) that would grant the federal waiver for California,
allowing that state and others to move forward with the program. Environment New Jersey
is working to ensure that Senators Menendez and Lautenberg support the
legislation that will give states like New Jersey
the green light to put clean cars on the road.
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Environment New Jersey is a statewide non-profit environmental advocacy organization
dedicated to clean air, clean water and open space, with over 20,000 citizen
members.
