States sue over fuel standards, Bush announces emissions baby steps
California Attorney General Jerry Brown held forth on the steps of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday, leading a group of 11 states suing the feds over “dangerously weak” fuel-efficiency standards. “The Bush administration has its head in the sand, and we hope the court wakes them,” he said. The suit, filed in November, says the proposed efficiency increase for light trucks and SUVs in model years 2008 to 2011 is “trivial” and should be recalculated. The feds contend that they had to juggle environmental protection with economic stability and “the safety of the driving public.” Because getting good mileage is super dangerous. Meanwhile, President Bush said he’s asked the U.S. EPA and other agencies to think of some kinda plan for cutting vehicle emissions by the time he leaves office, to “make our economy stronger, our environment cleaner, and our nation more secure.” While we dig the phrasing, critics point out that Bush actually has the authority to improve fuel economy immediately.
