EPA May Allow States to Regulate Tailpipe Emissions
EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said today his agency would move to allow California to limit car tailpipe emissions as a result of a Supreme Court ruling.
In a surprise announcement before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Johnson said that the EPA had "filed a formal motion that starts the California waiver petition." The court ruled recently that the government has the authority to regulate greenhouse gases. California and 10 other states had filed petitions asking for permission to regulate the emissions even without a federal rule in place.
A surprised committee chair, Barbara Boxer, asked him to repeat the statement. Johnson complied, adding that a hearing on the petition was set for May 22.
That did not end the fireworks, however. Boxer grilled him about a time frame for the process, and Johnson refused to provide one. Boxer ended by noting that California has never been refused a waiver petition from the EPA.
Johnson replied, "Yes, that is my understanding."
Already automakers are suing California over the proposed regulation.