Is EPA Playing Dirty With Clean Air Law? Dec. 21, 2007

(CBS/AP) The old axiom goes, "Lead, follow, or get out of the way."

Critics are saying the Environmental Protection Agency has added another option: "Trip up."

Several states are now talking about suing the EPA because of its rejection of a strict auto emissions law set to be enacted by California and 16 other states, rules which would have required cleaner cars beginning two years from now.

Under the Clean Air Act, California is allowed to have stricter clean air laws than the federal government. Other states are also allowed to adopt California's stricter regulations than the federal rules.

. . . EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson announced Wednesday that, without waiting for a finalized written statement by the agency's technical and legal staff, he had declined California's request.

. . . The Los Angeles Times also suggested that correspondence from auto manufacturers, and pressure possibly linked to meetings held last month between executives from Ford and General Motors and Vice President Dick Cheney which were first reported by the Detroit News, may have influenced Johnson.

--read entire article-- ________________________________________________________________Dick Cheney influence an appointed official on behalf of industry?

Say it isn't so.