EnviroCar

Vermont laws could pave the road to cleaner vehicles

Nearly a dozen states could limit emissions from cars and light trucks thanks to a Vermont judge, according to an article published by Reuters. In 2005 Vermont followed California's lead in calling for a 30 percent cut in the amount of CO2 emitted from automobiles starting with 2009 models. U.S. automakers have sued both states seeking to have the rules overturned, but Vermont's suit was the first to go to trial.

After nearly a month of testimony arguments finally concluded on May 8, with legal experts expecting U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions to file his ruling by September the article states.

The Vermont trial began shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in an unrelated case that CO2 can be regulated as a pollutant, rejecting a 2003 argument by the federal Environmental Protection Agency that it did not have authority over CO2 emissions. That ruling has weakened the auto industry's claim that the that the 10 states that have already adopted the regulations are overreaching, and that fuel efficiency in vehicles is meant to be federally regulated.

GM and DaimlerChrysler said they could not meet the Vermont standards and would be forced to stop doing business in the state as a result. Vermont has countered, saying the standards were realistic and crucial for maintaining the stable climate the state depends on.

U.S. automakers have been slow in adopting energy-saving technologies compared to their Asian rivals, claiming hybrid technology raises manufacturing costs to levels that would negatively affect their businesses. Japanese automaker Toyota has been building the Prius hybrid at a loss but expects cost-cutting on hybrid production to make the cars as profitable as traditional petrol-powered models by 2010, when the automaker expects to sell a million hybrids annually.

California created its stricter emissions laws beleiving the national government was doing too little to regulate CO2 from cars. Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington adopted the California laws and Arizona, Maryland and New Mexico are also considering imposing the regulations.

posted by Eric @ 7:38 PM