Sacramento, Calif. – California’s attorney general on Wednesday sued the six largest U.S. and Japanese automakers, including GM, Ford and Toyota, for damages related to greenhouse-gas emissions.
The federal lawsuit alleges that emissions from their vehicles have harmed Californians’ health, damaged the environment and cost the state millions of dollars to combat their effects.
“It’s part of a strategy to address global warming,” Attorney General Bill Lockyer told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “The goal of this one is to hold these automobile manufacturers accountable for the moneys taxpayers are spending to address these harms.”
The lawsuit is the latest effort from California to combat the effects of global warming.
Last month, the state Legislature passed a landmark bill designed to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases from industries.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to sign the measure into law by the end of the month.
Two years ago, the state enacted similar requirements for auto emissions, prompting carmakers to file suit in federal court.
Lockyer’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Oakland, names Chrysler Motors Corp., General Motors, Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor North America, Honda North America and Nissan North America.
The automakers responded to the lawsuit by issuing a statement saying they already are building cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers also cited a similar lawsuit brought against utilities that was dismissed previously by a federal court in New York.
The alliance didn’t respond to the substance of Lockyer’s lawsuit, saying it would need time to review the complaint.
California already regulates auto-tailpipe emissions. The state Air Resources Board in 2004 adopted rules designed to cut polluting exhaust from cars and light trucks by 25 percent and from sport utility vehicles by 18 percent.
