"House panel votes to bar EPA tailpipe emission regulations"

[Xicano]

Washington— A House panel approved a bill to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating tailpipe emissions — but the measure's future is uncertain.

The bill sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., would overturn a 2007 Supreme Court decision that said the EPA has the legal right to regulate tailpipe emissions as a danger to public health under the Clean Air Act.

The committee's Energy and Power subcommittee, after two hours of debate, approved the measure by a voice vote. House Republicans are putting the measure on a fast track, with opening statements planned for Monday by the full committee and a vote by the full House later this month.

The 2007 Supreme Court decision opened the door to California imposing its own tailpipe emissions limits. The prospect of state and federal emissions limits has been harshly criticized by automakers.

In the wake of the decision, the Obama administration reached a deal with California and automakers in May 2009 to set nationwide standards for the 2012-16 model years that will hike fleet-wide fuel efficiency to 34.1 mpg by 2016. The deal essentially extended California's proposed standards nationwide, but gave automakers additional flexibility in early years.

California's standards were adopted by a dozen other states.

"We feel it is not right that California should be dictating standards for the rest of the country," Whitfield said.

The measure will cost the auto industry about $52 billion over five years, but also save 1.8 billion barrels of fuel over the life of the vehicles. The Obama administration says it would save $3,000 per vehicle in gas over the life of the vehicles.

The administration is working on the 2017-2025 regulations and California is also working on its own proposal. Both proposals are to be issued in September.



http://www.detnews.com/article/20110310/AUTO01/103100441/1361/House-panel-votes-to-bar-EPA-tailpipe-emission-regulations-

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

1. Put them in a closed garage with a running vehicle,

see if they like the air.

[Bandit]

2. Didn't both of those guys want the auto industry to fold up instead of

letting the Government giving them a loan to rebuild their companies to become profitable? Now they say they are on the Auto Industry's side.:crazy:....Don't we still own about a third of GM and Chrysler?