Florida ought to move ahead with car rules

Recent announcement from the Obama administration signaling a U-turn on automobile-emission standards is a healthy sign for Florida, the nation and maybe even the U.S. auto industry. Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Sole immediately said the state would get in line with California and more than a dozen other states that had been trying for years to set standards that exceeded federal rules.

It's about time. California, the land of smog aplenty, initially moved in 2002 to toughen emission standards, only to be set back repeatedly by automakers and the Bush administration. At first, the auto industry filed lawsuits arguingCalifornia had no authority to set its own rules and that granting an exemption for one state might lead to a hodgepodge of rules that could prove disastrous for car-makers.

As time went by, though, more states joined the effort, designed to reduce greenhouse gases by setting caps on tailpipe emissions in new model cars. By this year, as many as 17 states were in line to enact regulations similar to California's. Including Florida and New York, those states represented roughly 40 percent of the population.

The Bush administration continued to stall, though, from one court ruling to another. When the federal EPA was told it had the authority grant waivers to the states that had requested it, none were forthcoming. In December 2007, the administration denied California a waiver while Bush signed a law raising fuel-efficiency standards by a lesser amount sought by California and the others. That temporarily put the brakes on an effort led by Gov. Charlie Crist to get Florida into the fast lane. Florida joined California's lawsuit and kept the effort rolling in accordance with Crist's overall call to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state.

Last month, the Florida Environmental Regulatory Commission voted to adopt California's standards. That measure will go to the Legislature in March. The new rules, which reportedly would apply to cars and light trucks beginning in the 2013 model year, look to cut emissions by 30 percent on a fleetwide average. That allows for some flexibility, since greater mileage in smaller cars could be offset by lesser mileage in larger vehicles, so the new rules wouldn't crush automakers. In addition, penalties wouldn't be enforced for another decade, so automakers could have some time to play catch-up if need be.

It's well past time. Transportation accounts for 25-40 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Those of us living on this precarious peninsula should be especially sensitive to the impacts caused by global warming. In addition, state officials estimate more-efficient cars will save motorists at the pump and could save 440 million gallons of fuel annually by 2016. While it still makes more sense to enact rules on a national level — and there are indications the new administration will move in that direction — this is a welcome shift in course that eventually should have the same effect.

Following last year's spike in gas prices, coupled with the anger that swirled around the Detroit bailout, U.S. car makers may find taxpayers expect something in return for their largess. More-efficient, less-polluting vehicles are a good start.