Calif. denies it may pull out of emissions pact

[rickaren]

Calif. denies it may pull out of emissions pact

Posted on Thursday, January 21st, 2010 at 12:24 PM EST.(Employee News)

The California Air Resources Board late Wednesday denied reports it was considering pulling out of a deal with automakers and the White House to set higher fuel economy standards, the Detroit News reported.

The board is “fully committed to the agreement to establish a national vehicle greenhouse gas standard announced last May by President Obama,” Chairwoman Mary D. Nichols told the paper. “There are still difficult technical issues to be resolved, as is to be expected in developing any pioneering rule, but we are confident that they will be worked out successfully. We look forward to working with both the EPA and the Department of Transportation in a spirit of cooperation to ensure the complete success of the Rose Garden agreement.”

Like some automakers, California has raised technical concerns about the proposed rulemaking unveiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Environmental Protection Agency that sets fuel efficiency standards and tailpipe emissions limits from the 2012 model year through the 2016 model year, the paper noted. California has received a waiver under the Clean Air Act to impose its own tailpipe emission limits. But California has pledged not to impose limits if a successful final agreement is imposed by March 31, the story said. (The Detroit News)