Government bumps mileage standards

WASHINGTON, April 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. government announced new standards for truck and car emissions Thursday, touting them as a benefit to U.S. consumers by lowering gasoline bills.

The Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, in a joint statement, said the purchase of the average car affected by the regulations would likely translate into savings of $3,000 over the life of the car due to the higher fuel efficiency mandated by the standards.

The standards were said to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 960 million metric tons over the predictable lifetime of the vehicles affected, the agencies said.

Starting in 2012, automakers will be required to improve average fuel efficiency in their fleets by 5 percent every year through 2016, pushing mileage to an average 34.1 miles per gallon by the end of the initiative.

The statement said the government received more than 130,000 comments on the proposal since September 2009 "with overwhelming support for the strong national policy."

The standards are historic and "ambitious but achievable," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said.

"We will be helping American motorists save money at the pump, while putting less pollution in the air," he said.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson called the initiative "an important example of how our economic and environmental priorities go hand-in-hand."

The standards were announced a day after President Obama lifted some offshore drilling restrictions, angering many environmentalists.