Environmental Law
California Sues EPA Over Global Warming
Posted Nov 9, 2007, 06:51 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
California has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in its effort to require automakers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The state applied two years ago for a waiver that would allow it to force a 30 percent cut in emissions by 2016, the Recorder reports. The suit (PDF posted by the Recorder) seeks to force the agency to act on its request.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said at a press conference yesterday that he expects 14 states to join the lawsuit.
Automakers oppose California’s effort, saying the law gives only the federal government the power to regulate fuel economy, the Wall Street Journal reports (sub. req.).
The EPA had promised to act on the request by the end of the year, said EPA spokeswoman Jennifer Wood. She said the EPA couldn’t act until the U.S. Supreme Court’s April ruling in a pollution case, Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency. The court ruled that states have standing to challenge the agency for failing to adopt anti-pollution restrictions.
"It's less than two months to the end of the year now," Wood told the Recorder. "The governor has been well aware of what the timeline was."
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