Attorney General Lockyer Criticizes Federal Fuel Economy Standards That Attack California Curbs on Global Warming Emissions

NHTSA Rules Seek to Preempt Landmark State Restrictions on Vehicle Emissions

Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

(SACRAMENTO) – Attorney General Bill Lockyer said he will fight to protect California’s landmark law that requires reductions in vehicle emissions that contribute to global warming against an attack launched today by the Bush Administration. Fuel economy standards for light trucks and SUVs adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) attempt to preempt the California statute.

Lockyer issued the following statement in response to the final NHTSA rules:

“These rules contain an unwarranted attack on California’s landmark law to fight one of the greatest environmental dangers facing our people and economy. The rules’ 51-page treatise that alleges federal law preempts California’s mandate to cut carbon dioxide pollution from vehicles is not only wrong, but completely irrelevant to the fuel economy standards at hand. It’s nothing more than another gift to the auto industry from the Bush Administration, whose response to the global warming threat has been to stick its head in the sand. We will continue to defend California’s right to protect its environment, people and businesses from global warming, whether the attack comes from the auto industry or the Bush Administration.”

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