On January 2, sixteen states, led by California, Vermont and New York, agreed to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for blocking their state plans to limit vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. California Attorney General Jerry Brown filed the lawsuit with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals saying that EPA was "illegally" blocking California's standards. Currently, California's law requires a reduction in vehicular emissions by 30 percent by 2016. Last month, EPA denied a waiver to the states that would have allowed them to reduce vehicular emissions 23 percent by 2012 and 30 percent by 2016. EPA noted that Congress, in the recently enacted Energy Independence and Security Act, had approved an increase in federal mileage standards, which the EPA said was preferable to a "patchwork quilt" of individual state regulations.
Last Wednesday, January 23rd, Sen. Barbara Boxer's office released EPA staff documents, related to the decision. The documents show that EPA staff made a strong case that California should be allowed to proceed with its first-in-the-nation greenhouse gas regulations. These arguments were ignored by the EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson.
Johnson testified before the Environment and Public Works Committee on January 24, where he was grilled by the Sen. Boxer as well as other Senators about his decision.