WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- A single fuel emissions standard was proposed Tuesday by two U.S. agencies, who say the rule would improve fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gases.
The rule offered by the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency also would conserve billions of oil, save money at the pump and increase fuel efficiency, the Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said Tuesday in a joint news release.
Under the proposal, which covers model years 2012-2016, automobile manufacturers could build a single, light-duty national fleet that satisfies all federal and state fuel efficiency requirements, the officials said. The proposed program includes miles-per-gallon requirements under a departmental agency's Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards program and the first-ever national emissions standards under EPA's greenhouse gas program.
The collaboration of federal agencies for the proposal also would offer clearer rules for all automakers to follow, instead of their following potentially three standards for the federal Transportation Department, EPA and a state.
"By bringing together a broad coalition of stakeholders ... we have crafted a path forward that is win-win for our health, our environment and our economy," Jackson said. "Through that partnership, we've taken the historic step of proposing the nation's first ever greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles ... ."
"The increases in fuel economy and the reductions in greenhouse gases we are proposing today would bring about a new era in automotive history," LaHood said, noting the proposed standards would help consumers save money at the gas pump, protect the environment and decrease the country's dependence on oil.
