Obama: Will Grant California a Waiver to Increase Emissions Regulations
Articles — By forcechange on January 25, 2009 4:44 pm
President Obama will announced on Monday that he will be directing the EPA to grant California its long sought after waiver to more strictly regulate vehicle emissions than current federal standards.
Former President Bush had previously sided with automakers and refused to grant this waiver, leading to a conflict between the state and federal government. Once the EPA grants California this waiver under the Clean Air Act, the state will implement a more stringent emissions regime. Thirteen other states have also adopted the California rules, and will similarly be permitted to follow suit under the waiver.
It was also reported that Obama will announce that he is directing federal agencies to substantially increase the energy efficiency of their buildings. These measures are aimed at saving as much as $2 billion a year in energy costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Finally, Obama will also direct the Department of Transportation to begin drafting increased fuel efficiency regulations in order to comply with a law passed in December 2007. Bush had delayed implementing these regulations until the expiration of his term.
Facebook Comments
0 Comments
You can be the first one to leave a comment.