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U.S. Senate to consider state-by-state emissions laws

 
5 1,191 views May 15, 2008
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U.S. Senate to consider state-by-state emissions laws

U.S. Senate to consider state-by-state emissions laws

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Spearheaded by California Senator Barbara Boxer, a coalition of 17 states are seeking the ability to control vehicle emissions regulations within their borders as they see fit. The central point of contention is a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency last year that refused to allow the states a waiver to institute a 30 percent reduction in vehicle emissions.

The EPA's decision to prohibit individual states from tightening emissions regulations is supported by the auto industry, which could face a nightmare scenario of literally a dozen or more different emissions schemes it would have to meet to sell cars in all 50 U.S. states, reports The Detroit News. The overhead required to engineer and manage cars for each - or the cost involved in making the entire fleet meet the strictest standards - would potentially be enormous.

The Bush administration likewise is advocating its Clean Air Act as a national solution, avoiding the 'patchwork' or ad hoc implementation that would result if the matter were left up to each state.

The bill was introduced by the 17 senators in January and will go before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee next week.

The State of California has developed a reputation for fighting any way it can to reduce tailpipe emissions. In 2006, the state sued the auto industry for damaging the state with greenhouse gases. The case was eventually tossed out of court, but the state continues to seek ways to require reduced emissions for cars sold within its borders.



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Comments (5)

  1. By chris Posted: 5/15/2008 3:17pm PDT

    I don't think this is as big of a problem as everyone is making it out to be. If these states want to regulate the emmissions to a higher degree, let them. then the auto companies will regulate how many pickups they can sell in those states, and they'll all fall to pieces when contractors and tradesmen dont have work vehicles.

    If california wants to be a state of vehicles no larger than a mazda 5, let them.
     
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  2. By MyWheelsOnWalls.com Posted: 5/15/2008 3:37pm PDT

    Makes perfect sense to me too!! Considering car manufacturers make vehicles for a global market. It'll be so easy and cost effective for the consumer to come up with 50 variations of a car for the U.S. alone.

    Go Bab's your such a genious!!!!
     
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  3. By Roy Posted: 5/15/2008 5:04pm PDT

    I believe that emissions standards should be better but I emphatically do not believe this is the way to do it. It seems to be political gamesmanship at best and heaven forbid it should succeed!
     
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  4. By HECTOR Posted: 5/15/2008 6:06pm PDT

    States are already allowed to set their own fuel standards so that refineries have manufacture fuels for different tastes (part of the reason we had to import fuel into the Southeast from England after hurricane Katrina).

    This new idiocy will have the same effect, basically forcing manufacturers to build cars to cater to the whims of aparatchiks in State capitols. And then pass the costs to the consummers.
     
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  5. By Jim Posted: 5/16/2008 8:00am PDT

    Hector, the regional gas formulations are the result of Clean Air Act requirements not state laws.

    A free for all of emissions standards would be a nightmare but the situation that exists today where there is a Federal standard and a California standard, with the other states being able to choose one or the other works fine.
     
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