Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

State Sues EPA over Gas Emission Standards

California sued the federal government today to force a decision about whether the state can impose the nation's first greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks. KPBS reporter Ed Joy

State Sues EPA over Gas Emission Standards

California sued the federal government today to force a decision about whether the state can impose the nation's first greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks. KPBS reporter Ed Joyce has details. More than a dozen states plan to follow California's lead if it's granted a waiver from federal law.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says California needs to act now to protect the state's future.

Advertisement

Schwarzenegger : We are not waiting for Washington, the states are taking the lead. Once we succeed, we will show the true American leadership in the fight against global warming and will be a model for the rest of the world.

Automakers say allowing California to move forward with the tough new laws would create a patchwork of regulations across the country. They want the federal government to set the rules for all states.

At issue is California's nearly two-year-old request for a waiver under the federal Clean Air Act. That would allow it to implement a 2002 state anti-pollution law regulating greenhouse gases.

Ed Joyce, KPBS News.