Court Green Lights California Emissions Regs–Will EPA?

A California federal court has ruled that the state can set its own standards on vehicular greenhouse-gas emissions. However, the state still needs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s permission to implement the rules. California has been waiting for EPA’s okay on this for some time.

California intends to cut greenhouse-gas emissions by 30% from 2009 to 2016, per a plan the California Air Resources Board passed in 2004.

According to the article: “California is the only state that can set its own vehicle pollution standards because it began regulating air pollution before the EPA’s creation. Under the Clean Air Act, however, other states can select either California’s rules or federal ones.

“Fifteen other states have adopted California’s limits, most recently New Mexico late last month. In sum, those 16 states account for about 40% of the U.S. population.”