Congressman Rick Boucher trying to block state CO2 regulations
Congressman Rick Boucher of Virginia is trying to head off the EPA decision on granting a waiver to California so they can regulate greenhouse gases. At the same time as Congress is working on new fuel economy regulations, Boucher has drafted a bill that, if passed, would prevent any state from enforcing any greenhouse gas restrictions on vehicles. The legislation is intended to be part of a larger climate change control bill. Part of the new legislation would include having the EPA establish a system for reporting the CO2 emissions of new vehicles and having exclusive privileges to regulate those emissions.Clean Air Watch president Frank O'Donnell thinks Boucher has introduced this bill at the behest of John Dingell, who is resistant to the new fuel efficiency requirements introduced by others in Congress. The Boucher bill also includes the same standards as the Carl Levin proposal in the Senate at 36mpg for cars by 2022 and 30mpg for trucks by 2025.
These standards are totally absurd and there is absolutely no reason carmakers can't meet more stringent standards that have already been proposed. The fuel economy standards that have already been proposed should not be backed off. The only thing that should be changed is that something should be done on the demand side to stimulate market demand for more efficient vehicles.
Update: Boucher, Levin and Dingell are all Democrats
Related:
- Automakers offer an option out of CAFE regs
- Beefed up CAFE standards - 35 mpg by 2020 - approved by Senate panel
- Sen. Levin: increase in CAFE standard would kill Chrysler
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Marcus 2:17PM (6/05/2007)
Sam:
Just curious - you mention Reps. Boucher and Dingell and Senator Levin, but do not cite their political affiliation. Why? There seems to be something of an arbitrary standard in the postings on ABG in this regard...
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GreyFlcn 2:54PM (6/05/2007)
"OMG we can't update our fuel economy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZOp2uGae_Y
Bullshit.
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Phil L. 3:02PM (6/05/2007)
Marcus -
Good point. In most newspapers, the style book calls for a legislator's state and party affiliation to be listed the first time the name appears within an article. Probably a good policy for ABG, as well.
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Geoff Gibson 4:06PM (6/05/2007)
Corruption and overall douchebaginess knows no political party lines.
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Jack S. 4:23PM (6/05/2007)
While the fuel economy numbers are nonsense, the efforts to put this under the Fed. govt. is not misguided. The EU has taken similar efforts as Member States each creating their own standards will fragment the markets and increase costs for manufacturers.
It's already a mess in the US with CA, NY, et. al and their different standards from the rest of the country. I admire their desire to drive for lower emissions, but the problems it creates for manufacturers not too mention watching Escalade ESV's and MB S550's all over the place while VW and MB cannot import their diesels challenges rational minds.
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mikeinBuilding7 6:04PM (6/05/2007)
I just wonder why the auto industry doesn't over Engine Size Options in the LARGEST MARKET IN THE WORLD, yet, Little U.K. Get's typically 3 and often 6 engine options?
Is it just because Big Oil holds 42% of the Auto Industry stock?
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bioburner 9:01PM (6/05/2007)
I think the issue here is that the federal governemnt is not taking action on green house gas emissions so the states are forced to go it alone. If the boys in D.C. would get off their collective butts and address this issue then individual states would not be forced in to taking action on their own. States like Ca., N.Y, texas, ect already have their own auto pollution control requirments but nobody is complaining. It is the same thing just take out CO, Unburned HC and nOx and replace with CO2.
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