SANTA FE — Eight governors, including Arizona's Janet Napolitano, are objecting to proposed legislation they say would pre-empt states' efforts to fight global climate change through regulations to reduce greenhouse gases.
The governors of Arizona, California, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington sent a letter Thursday to Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., opposing his legislation.
Meanwhile, several House Democrats said Thursday that they would try to prevent the House energy plan that seeks to block California and other states from regulating tailpipe emissions. The House Democrats said they could not back legislation limiting California's efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions or the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate them.
The lawmakers' comments came at the start of a lengthy hearing on a comprehensive energy plan that would propose that the auto industry meet gas mileage standards of at least 36 miles per gallon for passenger cars after 2021 and 30 mpg for trucks after 2024. It also would create a low-carbon fuel standard and push the auto industry to boost the production of vehicles running on alternative fuels such as ethanol.
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California has asked the federal government for a waiver for two years to implement a state law that would cut greenhouse-gas emissions, mostly carbon dioxide, by 25 percent from cars and 18 percent from sport utility vehicles beginning in 2009. At least 11 other states are ready to follow California's lead.
The House bill would prohibit the EPA from issuing a waiver a state would need to impose auto pollution standards if the new requirements are "designed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions."
The governors' letter said their states have the right under the federal Clean Air Act to adopt California's standard and that Congress "must not deny states the right to pursue solutions in the absence of federal policy."
The states are pursuing clean-tailpipe standards in the absence of federal leadership, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said.
"The Environmental Protection Agency already has dragged its feet in an attempt to block the states from implementing clean tailpipe standards," he said. "We don't need Congress adding another obstacle to state ingenuity and leadership on an issue as important as the environment."
