Vt. to mount defense in emissions trial |
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Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:38
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BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - An automobile industry executive testified Monday that the state of California relied on flawed data from vehicle simulation tests in setting emissions standards that have since been adopted by Vermont and nine other states.Citing a litany of what he called 'major mistakes,' Kenneth Patton, manager of advanced engineering for General Motors Corp. said the California Air Resources Board and the private testing laboratory it used erred in calculations that went into development of rules aimed at cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions.'There were some serious mistakes in what they did,' Patton said.When asked by auto industry lawyer Andrew Clubok if following the rules would be a recipe for auto makers to reduce emissions, he said: 'Given all of the mistakes that were made ... if there is a recipe, it's a recipe for disaster.'His testimony came in the tenth day of testimony of a U.S. District Court trial pitting the auto industry against the state of Vermont over rules mandating sharp reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks by 2016.Automakers contend that the only way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is by improving vehicle mileage, since emissions depend on how much fuel is burned. They say the states don't have the authority to regulate fuel economy.Vermont, which says it can regulate emissions under the federal Clean Air Act, was to begin its defense in the case later Monday, with a state air pollution control official taking the stand.Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Vermont emissions trial at a glance 