Opinion ID: 675689
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: DEP's Adoption of California LEV Regulations

Text: 9 In September 1991, California enacted a novel set of vehicle emissions and clean fuels requirements called the Low Emissions Vehicles/Clean Fuels (LEV/CF) program. The LEV component of the program requires the creation of four categories of California cars to meet increasingly stringent emissions standards, to be phased in over time: Transitional Low-Emission Vehicles; Low-Emission Vehicles; Ultra-Law-Emission Vehicles; and Zero-Emission Vehicles, such as electric cars. California has also established annually descending fleet average requirements, based on sales targets for each category of vehicles. A fleet average requirement is a cap on the average emissions attributable to all classes of vehicles produced by a particular manufacturer in a given year (in other words, the manufacturer's fleet). California's requirements provide manufacturers with flexibility to develop varying emissions within their entire fleet to meet [an] overall goal. MVMA, 17 F.3d at 535. On January 7, 1993, EPA granted California a Sec. 209(b) waiver for the program. 10 Meanwhile, on January 31, 1992, DEP adopted the LEV component of California's standards, intending to apply the standards beginning with 1995 models. DEP regulations allow new California cars to be leased, bought, sold, and registered in Massachusetts, but ban the acquisition, sale, and registration of new federal cars in the state. DEP's proposed regulations sent out for notice and comment contained fleet average requirements, but no such requirements appear in the final rule because DEP preferred to let the market determine the mix of new California cars in the state.