California to Continue Air Quality Suit Vs. Automakers

SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2007; Reuters reported that California will not drop a lawsuit against automobile manufacturers over greenhouse gas emissions, state Attorney General Jerry Brown said on Saturday, saying the carmakers must change their ways.

"I want to sue the automakers and get them to change their ways. In fact we are," Brown, a former state governor and presidential candidate, told delegates at the annual state Democratic party conference.

"We are engaged in a major struggle to make that industry responsible to live within appropriate environmental restraints. And yes, I want to meet with them because they have to get off the dime."

Brown's predecessor last year initiated a lawsuit alleging greenhouse gases from the carmakers' vehicles were causing climate changes costing hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to California.

The suit names General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp., the U.S. arm of Germany's DaimlerChrysler AG and the North American units of Japan's Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

The automakers have called the lawsuit a nuisance action that should be dismissed, but said they are open to discussing improving vehicle fuel efficiency.

In his remarks, Brown also singled out General Motors for criticism after statistics this week showed the storied firm fell behind Toyota in vehicle sales for the first quarter of the year.

"General Motors has dropped from number one to number two. That's because they are not making the cars that are environmentally friendly, consumer friendly and what we need to make this country strong," Brown said.