Governor sends letter to president urging clean air waiver

January 21, 3:16 PMSacramento Environmental News ExaminerHarry Osibin

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Sacramento Environmental News Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Governor's Office

Governor Schwarzenegger Wednesday sent the following letter to President Barack Obama requesting that he direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to act promptly and favorably in reconsidering California’s request for a Clean Air Act waiver.  EPA is one of the agencies swamped with last-minute Bush administrative initiatives and is under direction from the White House to halt any rules changes.  The governor's office had been working the former administration on the waiver.

Text of the letter: 

January 21, 2009 

The President

The White House

Washington, DC  20500 

Dear Mr. President, 

I join many others in congratulating you on taking office during this time of historic change in administrations and in national policies.  One of these areas of change must be our nation’s response to global climate change. 

For four years, California and a growing number of farsighted states have sought to enforce a common-sense policy to reduce global-warming pollution from passenger vehicles, which are the source of 20 percent of our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.  Regulation will not only reduce these emissions, but will also save drivers money and reduce our nation’s dependence on imported oil. 

However, last March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made what we believe was a fundamentally flawed decision to deny California’s request for the Clean Air Act waiver necessary to enforce our regulation.  Today, the California Air Resources Board wrote to EPA Administrator-designee Lisa Jackson to request that she immediately reconsider the waiver based on clear legal standards.  I have enclosed a copy of the Board’s letter.   

Your administration has a unique opportunity to both support the pioneering leadership of these states and move America toward global leadership on addressing climate change.  I ask that you direct the U.S. EPA to act promptly and favorably on California’s reconsideration request so that we may continue the critical work of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on global climate change.  

Sincerely, 

Arnold Schwarzenegger 

Enclosure 

cc:     The Honorable Jan Brewer, Governor of Arizona

         The Honorable M. Jodi Rell, Governor of Connecticut

         The Honorable John Baldacci, Governor of Maine

         The Honorable Martin O’Malley, Governor of Maryland

         The Honorable Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts

         The Honorable Jon Corzine, Governor of New Jersey

         The Honorable Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico

         The Honorable David Paterson, Governor of New York

         The Honorable Ted Kulongoski, Governor of Oregon

         The Honorable Edward Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania

         The Honorable Don Carcieri, Governor of Rhode Island

         The Honorable Jim Douglas, Governor of Vermont

         The Honorable Chris Gregoire, Governor of Washington