Douglas praises EPA decision on Calif. emissions

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Governor Jim Douglas is praising a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to allow California to impose stringent regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.

California has been fighting the federal EPA over the issue for years. The agency’s approval announced Tuesday is needed before a 2004 state pollution law to combat global warming can go into effect. It would require the fuel efficiency of motor vehicles to increase by 40 percent by 2016 to an average of 35.5 miles per gallon.

Douglas says Vermont was the first other state to adopt California emission standards. The auto industry sued the state and lost an effort to block implementation of those standards.

The EPA’s decision had been expected.

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