Vermont Governor Douglas’s Statement on President Obama’s Emissions Control Policy

January 26, 2009 -- Montpelier, VT – Vermont Governor Jim Douglas today expressed his gratitude for the decisive action on the part of President Obama instructing EPA to reconsider whether to grant California a waiver to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles. Until EPA grants a waiver, California’s greenhouse gas emission standards are not enforceable by Vermont and the other states that have adopted them.

“Vermont has been out front on this and other important environmental issues,” said Governor Douglas. “President Obama has seized an extraordinary opportunity to take concrete and speedy action on his pledge to address climate change,” the Governor said.

As the first state to adopt California’s greenhouse gas emission standards and to successfully defend these standards against legal challenges by the automobile industry in federal court, Vermont has been a leader among the more than a dozen states that have adopted these standards. The authority to enforce these standards is critical in the state’s desire to reduce emissions associated with climate change because almost 45 percent of Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation.

"As a rural state, Vermonters have traditionally worked the land for their livelihood. Tourism, farming, logging and maple sugaring are major economic drivers. Climate change has been a top priority for my administration as we continue to protect our working landscape and promote clean, renewable energy opportunities,” said Governor Douglas.

Source: Vermont Governor