In a previous post a while back, the battle between the EPA and CARB (California Air Resources Board) commenced with the adoption of the new CAFE standard. Well, the battle continues to wage between the federal and state organizations.

The EPA has rules that CARB would not be able to mandate California-only emissions standards for new vehicles produced under the new CAFE standard. Under current laws, CARB has been able to force OEs to produce California-specific models. Obviously, this adds to the production costs of vehicles as a separate model with different emissions equipment have to be made on the line. CARB, in reaction to the EPA’s ruling, has vowed to fight the decision.

Mary Nichols, CARB’s head cheese, told engineers at an SAE conference that her organization’s plan would increase the variety of alternative, fuel-efficient vehicles and give the industry time and flexibility to meet the standards. Nichols said she was confident the next presidential administration would allow California to set the nation’s first greenhouse gas limits on cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles. All three of the remaining White House hopefuls have expressed support for a waiver allowing the California regulations to be enacted.

The Environmental Protect Agency in December blocked California and about 16 other states to impose tough regulations on emissions. California officials have said their program would cut emissions by one-third in new vehicles by 2016 and increase fuel efficiency to about 36.8 mpg.

EPA officials, in their denial, said the energy bill signed by President Bush would boost fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020 while providing a national approach for reducing emissions.

Automakers have opposed California’s standards, saying a national approach authored by the federal government would allow the industry to aim for one standard.

Dave McCurdy, a former Oklahoma congressman who leads the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said car makers would face different compliance requirements in each state that adopts California’s approach, causing confusion in the marketplace.

McCurdy said he was hopeful that the industry and government could find a national approach next year "that doesn’t deny California the opportunity to be a laboratory but doesn’t impose their standards from an agency that’s not looking at the national level."

As a resident of Southern California, the problem isn’t miles per gallon. Rather, it’s a) the lack of a good public transportation infrastructure; b) too many cars on the road, many of them operating illegally (unregistered, uninsured, unlicensed); c) too many cars in disrepair; and d) no incentive for people to get out of their cars.

I’ve changed my mind. This author now believes that the new CAFE standard is sufficient and there’s no need for CARB to cry wolf. Frankly, it’s arrogant for CARB to believe that it can usurp federal regulations. They’re merely trying to save their jobs and assert their right to exist. California is no more special than the rest of the union and certainly not above the US Constitution which mandates that state laws cannot supersede federal laws. And politicians claiming support for CARB is mere election year fodder that really doesn’t mean much to average Joes like you and me.

Let’s hope that CARB will wisely back down from this rather unnecessary battle at the cost of tax payers.

[Source: Associated Press]