Washington to Join Clean Car Lawsuit Against Federal Government

For Immediate Release: October 18, 2007

Governor calls for end to delay on clean car standards

OLYMPIA � Governor Chris Gregoire today announced that Washington will join California in an expected lawsuit against the federal government to allow the state, along with 11 other states, to require that all new cars sold in Washington be �clean cars.�

�We can�t afford any more delay in taking action,� said Governor Gregoire.

Washington is one of 12 states that have adopted the California clean car standards, which address tailpipe emissions of both air toxins and greenhouse gases (CO2). To take effect, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must approve a petition filed by California that would waive certain less-stringent standards that have been adopted by the EPA. Since the 1970s, EPA has quickly granted every waiver � more than 40 � requested by California; however, the federal government has not acted on California�s clean car waiver petition for nearly two years.

�It�s time to get the ball rolling, and I sincerely hope this will do it,� said Governor Gregoire. �I sincerely hope the EPA sees the error of its ways and allows us all to proceed.

�Delay means more damage to our environment and our economy. Delay means higher costs to reduce emissions and to adapt to the impacts of a warmer planet. It is time for the delays to stop.�

Ending delay is especially important in Washington, where nearly 50 percent of greenhouse gases are from cars and trucks.

The Washington standards are to be phased in, with the 2009 model year being the first required to meet the new standards. Putting the standards into action would mean removing the equivalent of 690,000 cars from Washington roads in 2020.

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