President Barack Obama announced yesterday (26th January) that he will be conducting a review into the decision to block US states from setting their own auto emissions targets.

Speaking at his first White House news conference, Mr Obama ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to reassess the dismissal of a waiver which California has used to impose stricter emissions standards on its vehicles.

He expressed his belief that the state has shown a brave and visionary approach to controlling emissions, the reduction of which uses pgm-based converters in auto engines.

Mr Obama said: "The days of Washington dragging its heels are over. My administration will not deny facts. We will be guided by them."

The news will come as a boost to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who had pleaded with Mr Obama to reverse the Bush administration's single national standard on fuel efficiency.

Furthermore, the new President told the transportation department to develop new, short-term regulations to give automakers a framework for making improvements to their vehicles' emissions.

The move was motivated by the fact that the previous government devised a project in 2007 which required new cars and trucks manufactured by 2020 to obtain 35 miles per gallon of fuel, but it was never enshrined in law.

Under Mr Obama's proposals, the new standard would be reached by 2011, according to a report in the New York Times.

Source:

Obama aims for oil independence (26/01/09)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7851038.stm