The state of California has applied to the federal
government for a waiver to let it implement the regulations under the Clean Air
Act. Business interests led by a Central Valley car dealership and the
Association of International Automobile Manufacturers sued the state. They
claim the rule is a de-facto mandate on fuel-economy standards, which can be
set only by the federal government. California, is the world's 12th-largest
producer of greenhouse gases. The auto rules are designed to cut emissions from cars and light trucks
by 25 percent and from sport utility vehicles by 18 percent beginning in 2009.
A spokesman for Attorney General Jerry Brown said the state is awaiting the
Supreme Court's decision. "We
feel confident when that happens we'll be able to make the next step to
enforcing the California law," spokesman Gareth Lacy said.
The
Supreme Court is expected to rule later this year in a Massachusetts case about
whether greenhouse gases should be regulated under the Clean Air Act. At a
hearing in September, attorneys for the auto manufacturers said the technology
did not exist to meet the California standards or could not be applied in a
cost-effective way to cars sold in the United States. They argued the rules
would increase the cost of vehicles and eliminate some types of trucks used by
farmers.