On the same day as my birthday—December 19th—America received some disheartening news that the Environmental Protection Agency denied California and 16 other states the right to set their own standards for greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles.

The emissions standards California proposed in 2004 — but never approved by the federal government — would have forced automakers to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in new cars and light trucks by 2016, with the cutbacks to begin in 2009 models. That would have translated into roughly 43 miles per gallon for cars and some light trucks and about 27 miles per gallon for heavier trucks and sport utility vehicles. If the waiver had been granted and the 16 other states had adopted the California standard, it would have covered at least half of all vehicles sold in the United States.

With automakers praising the EPA for denying the waiver, the EPA itself will have a difficult time justifying their decision to the State of California. EPA’s administrator Stephen Johnson announced the decision in such a rushed fashion following President Bush’s signing of the energy bill this Wednesday that many of his key staff was cut out of the debate . According to House Oversight Committee chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and other sources, the decision was made almost entirely on political grounds. It’s also rumored that the EPA staff overwhelmingly believes that the waiver should be granted.

While the smoke clears with the State of California versus the EPA to grant the waiver, the Freedom from Oil team put out a press release slamming the EPA for Refusing to Allow California to Regulate Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions:

“The EPA might as well change its name to the Automakers Protection Agency.

“Let’s be clear: with this decision, the EPA is cowing to the influence of the auto industry rather than protecting the interests and health of the American people.

“We have a short window of time to get greenhouse gas emissions under control. With forty percent of California’s greenhouse gas emissions coming from transportation fuels, establishing vehicle emissions standards is an obvious first step toward protecting the climate and the public health of all Americans.”

With this in mind, we are taking action today at the EPA in downtown San Francisco to call attention to EPA rejection of the waiver for Clean Air and Clean Cars!