White House Backed DOT Lobbying Campaign Against CA's Emission Standards

Posted by: Heather Green on September 25

The San Francisco Chronicle has a great story about how the Department of Transportation head Mary Peters, managed a lobbying campaign to scuttle California’s request to the EPA to implement more stringent emissions caps on trucks and cars.

The story is based on internal DOT emails that Representative Henry Waxman released last night and published online at the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s site.

They’re fascinating reading. They show the people involved reaching out to govenors and reps. who might oppose the waiver—people they call “auto-friendly members.” They even bring up concerns that they’re barred from doing this kind of lobbying. But the most interesting thing is that they never even mention why they’re doing this…

….until the end of the string of emails, when there’s a complete list of draft points. Why is the government doing this lobbying? Concern that “a single federal standard is the best way to reduce feul consumption, protect the environment, preserve vehicle safety, and support the economy.”

Huh. Only if it happens.

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