States Adopt California's Greenhouse Gas Limits

[Thom Little]

On Friday, Massachusetts joined Oregon, Connecticut and five other states in adopting California's tough greenhouse gas rules, which limit the amount of carbon dioxide and other gases that can be emitted from vehicle tailpipes. These new rules would supplement federal exhaust pollutant standards already in place. Two other states are in the process of adopting the rules.

The carbon dioxide regulations are so strict, the auto industry argues, that they would cause extensive design changes to new vehicles, driving up prices and crippling new-car sales. Every major automaker that sells vehicles in the United States is suing to have the new rules overturned, even as states on the West Coast and in the Northeast are moving quickly to adopt them.

The California rule -- which was approved by a state environmental board in 2004 and, with federal approval, would take effect for the 2009 model year -- requires a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2016. The rules are one element of a wider trend of states enacting their own energy policies to govern auto and factory emissions and appliance energy efficiency, updating older federal rules or writing new rules where none exist.

.......

"For greenhouse gases, the federal government hasn't taken any action at all, and California has," said Andrew Ginsburg, Oregon's air quality administrator. "It's clear the federal government won't do it unless California paves the way and enough other states opt in."



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/02/AR2006010201467.html

[SoCalDem]

1. and it's a coincidentally nifty way to raise tons of money

through mandatory emissions-testing of all vehicles.. It costs us about $200 a year for the testing & certificate. Our cars always pass, but if one ever fails, you are mandated to fix it and retest at your own cost..