EPA Grants California Emissions Enforcement Standards

The
Environmental Protection Agency announced last week that it is granting a
waiver request that will allow the state of California to enforce emissions standards
for new vehicles.

EPA
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said the decision is "consistent with the
Clean Air Act" and "reinforces the historic agreement on nationwide
emissions standards developed by a broad coalition of industry, government and
environmental stakeholders earlier this year."

A previous waiver request, made in 2005, had been denied on
the grounds that California allegedly didn't need its emissions standards to meet "extraordinary
conditions." Under President Obama, the EPA re-assessed the request and
determined it would be a step forward.

The new standard continues a trend of vehicle emissions
reform in the Obama administration. In May, President Obama announced a national policy for increasing fuel
economy and reducing emissions for all new automobiles in the U.S.