Automakers Lose Vermont Greenhouse Gas Standards Case

By Max Lindberg On February 18, 2008

They tried, but Chief Judge of the US District court in Vermont, William K Sessions III ruled against the auto industry’s attempt to block states, including Vermont, from adopting more rigorous greenhouse gas emission standards for new light-duty vehicles.

In his ruling, Judge Sessions said the industry failed to prove that the state standards were unattainable, that they usurp the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) prerogative to set fuel economy standards, and were preempted by federal authority.

The ruling came on the heels of an effort by the federal government to block California, and other states, from requiring that new, more stringent emission standards go into effect in 2009 models. The EPA blocked the California law in a contentious move that followed signing of the new energy bill in December of 2007.

I wrote about the action and urged all states involved that had followed California’s lead to file suit against the EPA to force their hand. You can read it here

California was the first to file suit, as outlined here.

California is awaiting resolution of their lawsuit in US District Federal Court in California.

This one is worth watching.

To read the case, it’s in PDF and you can access it at the Vermont Federal Court site.

(Case 2:05-CV-302 Green Mountain Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge et al v. Crombie et al)

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Max Lindberg

My home state is Illinois, and my hometown a little railroad/farming community named Galesburg.We lived on a small farm during my high school years and I became very aware of nature and it's wonders. I loved the out of doors, working with animals, plowing fields and harvesting crops. Those were very good years.After a stint in the Army during the Korean war my broadcasting career took off at the local radio station, a 250 watt "teapot" as it was called in those days. My first job was as an engineer, then the ham came out and I became an announcer/newsman, graduating after several years to a larger market and a stint as a TV journalist/photographer. Cold, wet weather led me to the southwest where I've lived for most of the last 40 years, with a couple of years out to have fun working as a private investigator in San Francisco, and a few years working in Las Vegas hotels and casinos. In all, its been a real ride.After retiring a few years back I became fascinated with the efforts being made to find alternative energy sources. I've watched our environment deteriorate during my lifetime, and now it's my chance to join the chorus of intelligent and caring individuals making a difference one day at a time.

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2 Responses to Automakers Lose Vermont Greenhouse Gas Standards Case

Roger says:

February 18, 2008 at 7:39 pm

Good! I cant breath on many days in my own home which is on a main road. China standards for auto emissions are higher then in the US and what California wants. What hapened to states rights? Maybe succession should be considerred. As Bush brilliantly said, “all knowledge does not exist with in Washington DC”

*coughs due to air*

edward luscinskas says:

February 18, 2008 at 7:33 pm

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY IN THIS DISPUTE HAS NOT ONLY MADE A MOCKERY OF IT’S NAME, IT HAS PROVEN THAT THE GOVERNMENT CAN, INDEED , BE THE ENEMY. BUSH HAS PROVEN IT OVER & OVER.