BOSTON – Senator John Kerry today issues the following statement praising Attorney General Martha Coakley’s decision to take legal action to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take action on California’s request for approval to regulate greenhouse gas in pollution from automobiles sold in the state.  Coakley, along with 13 other Attorneys General, filed the lawsuit in federal court this morning. Massachusetts, as well as over a dozen other states, has adopted California’s regulations to combat global change.

 
“Attorney General Coakley’s leadership on global climate change is exemplary. From the first Earth Day to the groundbreaking work at MIT, Massachusetts has long led the way in energy technology and innovation and environmental protection. I urge the EPA to issue the waiver as soon as possible, and I applaud Martha Coakley for her vision and leadership on this issue,” said Senator Kerry.

 
“States like Massachusetts and California cannot shoulder this entire burden,” continued Kerry. “Washington must do its job, too. We need to bolster the states’ efforts by establishing strong federal regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  We aren’t going to solve our energy crisis until we start getting smart about efficiency and alternative fuels, and Martha Coakley’s actions today are a great first step in moving the ball forward.”

 
Joining Massachusetts in today’s case are: New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Mexico, Maryland, Maine, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Illinois, Vermont, Arizona and Pennsylvania.  

 
Massachusetts adopted the California standard in 2005 but by law, can’t officially implement until it until the EPA grants California’s request.

 
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