Congress Wants To Question EPA Staff About Waiver Denial

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | January 14, 2008 | Erica Werner, AP

[CedarDave]

WASHINGTON — A key House Democrat said Monday he plans to question EPA officials about why the agency refused to allow California to require reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks.

At least 16 other states, including New Mexico, were prepared to implement the same limits had the government issued the waiver California needed to set the standards, which would have been the first in the nation.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson naming seven high-level managers he wants to interview. ...

Waxman wants EPA to agree to a schedule for transcribed interviews or depositions by Wednesday. EPA spokesman Jonathan Shradar said the agency would work with Waxman's committee to schedule the meetings.

~~snip~~

When EPA denied California's waiver request last month, it said that Congress' new fuel efficiency law was a better way to go. California contends that its law, which would have forced automakers to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 30 percent in new cars and light trucks by 2016, is stronger and takes effect more quickly than the new federal law.

The federal law would raise fuel economy standards nationwide to an average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020 while California says its law would result in standards of 36.8 mpg four years earlier, an analysis EPA disputes. California has sued the federal government over the issue.

Twelve other states — Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington — have adopted California's tailpipe emissions laws. The governors of Arizona, Colorado, Florida and Utah have said they also plan to adopt them; the rules also were under consideration elsewhere.

[CedarDave]

California contends that its law, which would have forced automakers to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 30 percent in new cars and light trucks by 2016, is stronger and takes effect more quickly than the new federal law.

I guess we'll all have to have drive Flintstone pedal cars to be able to meet these standards. Laws of physics don't apply to Democrats and enviro-nazis.

[BenLurkin]

House Democrat said Monday he plans to question EPA officials about why the agency refused to allow California to require reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks.

The answer is not complicated -- California is proposing a stupid idea.

[chaos_5]

Congress didn't exactly give birth to a good idea either.

Global warming Nazis should be drug out into the street and beaten for being stupid.

[HKMk23]

A key House Democrat said Monday he plans to question EPA officials about why the agency refused to allow California to require reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks.

TWO PART ANSWER:
A) The "key House Democrat is a blithering IDIOT.
B) California's law is entirely infeasible; the prop0sed standards simply could NOT be met in the allotted timeframe. Had the law been implemented, come January 1, 2016, nothing larger than a bicycle would be found on any road anywhere in California. yeah, it might have been Utopia for a few days; then the economic reality would set in.

[traditional1]

The face of the Democrat waste-of-time-and-waste-of-money-for-useless-investigations:

Nostrildumbass