States Challenge 'Trivial' Mileage Rules

A coalition of states and environmental groups took the federal government to court yesterday, arguing that the average fuel economy standards were, as the California attorney general put it, "dangerously weak." At issue is the fuel economy requirements for SUVs and light trucks from 2008 to 2012. The states and groups argue that the increased efficiency requirements enacted by the Bush Administration, from about 22 mpg to 24 mpg are "trivial." Meanwhile, a key Senate subcommittee recently approved a proposal to boost fuel economy significantly. Manufacturers' fleets would have to achieve an average of 35 mpg by 2020, according to a May 15 story in The San Francisco Chronicle.