Texas Sues EPA to Block Tailpipe Emissions Limits

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision to impose new tailpipe emissions limits starting 2012 has made the state of Texas file a legal challenge with the US Court of Appeal, aiming to overturn EPA's findings that emissions from vehicles endanger human life and stop the emissions from being regulated under the Clean Air Act.

"The powers that be in Washington are anxious to usher in a 'new era' by tearing down the old one, using sweeping mandates and draconian punishments, to force the square peg of their vision into the round hole of reality," Texas Gov. Rick Perry said, according to DetNews "They are preparing to undo decades of progress, while painting hardworking entrepreneurs as selfish, and destroying hundreds of thousands of jobs."

Tagging carbon dioxide as a toxic substance and including it in the Clean Air act will affect sectors of the economy other than the automotive one (as you already know, the US automotive industry backs the new regulations), should Congress fail to decide otherwise.

"When the EPA recently declared carbon dioxide a toxic substance, they put countless businesses, farms and even large churches in their crosshairs, and began a process that will not only devastate our state's strong economy, but also raise energy prices for the rest of the nation," the governor added.

"Their misguided plan paints a big target on the backs of Texas energy producers and the nearly 200,000 Texans they employ."

EPA's plan will help cut 950 million metric tons of harmful emissions and save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of model year 2012-2016 vehicle, while costing the industry $60 billion over five years.