A milestone law regulating California's greenhouse gas emissions could soon be implemented, much to the disapproval of car manufacturers, following today's ruling by a federal judge.
U.S. District Court Judge Anthony Ishii shot down arguments by car company representatives in Sacramento that mileage standards are solely for federal regulators to decide.
Auto industry spokesmen have called the law unconstitutional with the state superseding US government rule for more stringent standards.
Spokesmen present did not say if they plan to appeal, but called the law's mandate -- to cut the average fuel economy of their vehicles by 30 percent by 2016 -- “financially impossible,” says the New York Times.
The law, called a “landmark” by Reuters, would require major cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, overseeing carbon dioxide emitted from personal vehicles.
Among those vehicle's most affected, reports Reuters, are 2009 models, trucks, vans, and sports utility vehicles.
For the law to become official California will need a waiver from federal law from the EPA. Getting such a waiver could cause a chain reaction with 15 other states already planning to adopt the law.
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