http://enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/01/01032002/ap_46026.asp - 1/3/2002 - ENN.com Environmental groups sue government to force compliance with alternative fuel law
Thursday, January 03, 2002 By Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO - Environmental groups sued the U.S. government Wednesday to force it to comply with a 1992 law that requires agencies to buy vehicles that run on alternative fuels. The federal lawsuit accuses 18 agencies of failing to follow the Energy Policy Act and seeks to force the agencies to meet the law's requirements. Among the alleged violators are the departments of Energy, Justice, Transportation, Commerce, Defense, Agriculture, Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Agencies with vehicle fleets in larger cities were required to phase in purchases of alternative fuel vehicles starting in 1996, with 75 percent of the vehicles to use alternative fuels by 1999. The lawsuit claims only 17 percent of vehicles bought by the Department of Commerce in 2000 were alternative fuel vehicles. The EPA reached 35 percent in 1998, when 50 percent was required. The lawsuit notes that the law allows the agencies to buy such vehicles but does not require that they actually use the alternative fuel. The groups contend agencies bought vehicles that run on gasoline or ethanol but then ran them on gasoline. Representatives for the agencies could not be reached for comment after business hours Wednesday. An environmental law firm, Earthjustice, is representing the plaintiffs, the Center for Biological Diversity, Bluewater Network, and the Sierra Club. Copyright 2002, Associated Press ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Tiny Wireless Camera under $80! Order Now! FREE VCR Commander! Click Here - Only 1 Day Left! http://us.click.yahoo.com/WoOlbB/7.PDAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
