Johnson says US EPA reviewing California request to regulate CO2

Washington (Platts)--24Apr2007

US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson told a
Senate panel Tuesday that the agency has started the process for considering
California' petition to regulate carbon dioxide from motor vehicles.

Johnson would not commit to any time period for reaching a decision,
telling the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that the agency
needed to evaluate the public comments submitted in response to California's
request before it could provide a timetable.

The comment period closes June 15 and committee Chairwoman Barbara
Boxer, Democrat-California, she would schedule another hearing when the
comment period ends to determine the status of the request. Ten other states
have followed California's lead in seeking to control carbon emissions from
vehicles.

The Supreme Court last month ruled that EPA has the authority to regulate
greenhouse gas emissions. Johnson said in his prepared testimony that he and
EPA staff met with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger two weeks ago to
discuss the impact of the decision on California's request for a waiver to set
its own standards regulating carbon emissions.

Senator Joe Lieberman, Democrat-Connecticut, told Johnson, "I don't see
how EPA could deny a waiver without contravening the Supreme Court decision."

--Gerald Karey, gerry_karey@platts.com