California, 15 other states sue government for rejecting bid to curb emissions

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: Los Angeles Times

By Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
January 2, 2008

California and 15 other states filed suit against the federal government today for denying them the right to restrict carbon dioxide emissions from cars and trucks, a major cause of global warming.

The lawsuit, filed in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, challenges the Environmental Protection Agency's Dec. 19 decision to deny California a waiver to pass its own tailpipe rules, which is permitted under the 1970 Clean Air Act. When it comes to air pollution, the act allows states to follow California rules or federal rules, so long as the federal government grants California a waiver.

In the last three decades, the federal government has approved about 50 waivers, but in this case, EPA administrator Stephen L. Johnson contended that energy legislation passed last month by Congress increases vehicle fuel efficiency so much as to render the waiver unnecessary.

In a statement today, California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, called Johnson's denial letter "shocking in its incoherence and utter failure to provide legal justification for the administrator's unprecedented action. The EPA has done nothing at the national level to curb greenhouse gases." Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called the EPA decision "unconscionable" in a statement today. "They are ignoring the will of millions of people who want their government to take action in the fight against global warming," he said....

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-epa3jan03,0,6039527.story?coll=la-home-center

[pleah]

1. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm proud of Gov. Arnold S. and the 14 other states, too.

[Bicoastal]

2. Yeah, but don't think that Jerry Brown wasn't the one leading the fight on this thing...

[wtmusic]

6. Not true

Schwarzenegger signed a landmark bill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25% in Sept 2006 -- before Jerry Brown was elected

http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/4111/

"We now know that what we've done in the past 100 years has caused such unbelievable damage to the world. We didn't know better, but now we do, and now it's not okay. There are certain things we know will happen in the next 30 to 40 years if we don't roll it back. So we have to start doing it now. Every marathon starts with a first step."

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/04/02/8403410/index.htm

[keopeli]

3. And how many of those 15 states are Red States?

The 15 states joining California in today's suit: Massachusetts, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

[avaistheone1]

4. Gee....George what happened to all the talk of state's rights?

lol....I thought the republicans believed in state's rights.
What a bunch of hypocrites!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[terryg11]

5. exactly!!

Liars all.

[Kolesar]

7. What's wrong with the 35mpg standard from last month's "Energy Bill"

that was approved by both houses and signed by the occupant of the White House?