OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Gov. Chris Gregoire has followed up on a promise to join California's lawsuit against the EPA, lining up with more than a dozen states to defend tougher tailpipe emission rules.
Washington is one of several states that have adopted California's vehicle pollution regulations, which would force car manufacturers to cut emissions by one-third in new vehicles by 2016, boosting efficiency to about 36.8 mpg.
None of those states could put their laws into effect until California got permission for its law from the Environmental Protection Agency. But the EPA denied the program last month, rejecting California's arguments that it faced extraordinary threats from climate change.
Federal officials also said an energy plan signed into law by President Bush will raise fuel economy standards to an average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020, representing a more effective approach to reducing greenhouse gases than a patchwork of state regulations.
Gregoire and other affected governors quickly pledged to join California in a lawsuit challenging the EPA decision. California Attorney General Jerry Brown filed that lawsuit Wednesday in San Francisco's 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. California is the main party, with Washington joining other concerned states as interveners.
According to Washington's Department of Ecology, California-style tailpipe rules would cut carbon dioxide emissions in the state by about 4.3 million metric tons in 2020. The federal standards would only cut about 2.6 million metric tons.
''Washington cannot wait for permission to do the right thing for our state's environment and future generations,'' Gregoire said Wednesday. ''It is our responsibility to challenge this ill-conceived decision by the Bush administration and move Washington towards a more sustainable future.''
State Attorney General Rob McKenna, who will handle the lawsuit for the state, said Washington approved its tougher emissions law with the understanding that California would get its federal waiver in a timely manner.
''Now after nearly two years of waiting, EPA has denied the waiver, leaving states frustrated in their ability to address climate change concerns for their residents,'' McKenna said.
