Suit Filed Over Easing of Fuel Economy Standards on Autos
The cities of Los Angeles and New York, the state of California and three consumer interest groups filed suit in federal court Monday challenging the Reagan Administration’s easing of fuel economy standards for 1987 and 1988 model passenger cars.
Los Angeles City Attorney James K. Hahn called the federal government’s rollback of the gasoline efficiency standards an “illegal and environmentally unconscionable” action that would drive up levels of automobile-related air pollution.
The suit, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., seeks to overturn the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s decision Oct. 2 to drop fuel economy requirements from 27.5 miles per gallon to 26 m.p.g.
The rollback was prompted by threats from General Motors and Ford that they would shut down their U.S. plants manufacturing larger, less fuel-efficient cars unless the standard was eased.
Under federal rules, the fuel economy ratings of all of a maker’s cars must average out to the national standard or the automaker can be punished by multi-million dollar fines.
The filing Monday marked the second straight year that the federal government’s decision on fuel economy has unleashed a battle with local governments and consumer groups. The NHTSA last year lowered the 1986 fuel economy standards from 27.5 to 26 m.p.g., leading the cities of Los Angeles, New York, Boston and Chicago and several environmental groups to sue, charging that the environmental impacts of the decision had not been considered.
The Court of Appeals heard arguments in the 1986 case last week and is expected to announce its decision early next year. It was unclear Monday when the second suit covering the 1987-88 standards might come before the court.
Hahn, in a press conference at his Civic Center office, said the easing of the fuel standards for three years would lead to the refining and transporting of 1.5 billion extra gallons of gas each year.
A spokesman for the NHTSA said the agency would have no comment on the lawsuit filed by the cities and consumer groups, which included the Center for Automobile Safety, the Union of Concerned Scientists and Public Citizen.
Diane Steed, the NHTSA’S administrator, said in October that she proposed the rollback because “a higher standard would have resulted in the loss of jobs for tens of thousands of workers in the domestic auto industry.”
