| Dec. 19, 2007 Southland air
quality officials criticized a federal government decision today to deny
California the right to regulate greenhouse gases as a roadblock in the
fight against global warming.
“We’re deeply disappointed in the Environmental Protection Agency’s
decision on this matter,” said Barry Wallerstein, executive officer for the
South Coast Air Quality Management District, the Southland’s clean air
agency. “The Bush Administration continues to be non-responsive on climate
change, one of the most important issues of our time.”
In addition to blocking progress in the fight against global warming,
EPA’s decision today and related Bush Administration policies could harm
Southern California’s efforts to clean up urban air pollution, Wallerstein
said.
The U.S. EPA today announced that it had denied a 2005 request from the
state of California for a “waiver” from a portion of the federal Clean Air
Act. The waiver would have allowed the state to set tailpipe emission
standards reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from
cars, pickups and sport utility vehicles.
The California Air Resources Board adopted standards requiring automakers
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles by nearly 30
percent in 2016, beginning with the 2009 model year. However, a court has
ruled that the state needs a waiver from EPA to enforce the standards.
Last month, in anticipation of today’s action by EPA, California Attorney
General Jerry Brown, along with attorneys general in 16 other states, filed
a lawsuit against EPA in an effort to force the agency to allow states to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.
In a petition filed with EPA last month, the state of California along
with five other states, the city of New York and AQMD asked the EPA to
regulate greenhouse gases from aircraft.
California and other states are suffering from adverse effects of global
warming now, and rising temperatures caused by global warming will also lead
to increased ground-level ozone pollution, AQMD officials said. Ozone is
responsible for numerous adverse health effects including increased
hospitalizations and respiratory illnesses.
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major
portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
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