First US air quality standards hearings to take place

Public hearings on the first US greenhouse gas pollution and air quality standards are due to take place this week, it has been announced.

Officials from the country's department of transport and Environmental Protection Agency will listen to testimonies regarding new national greenhouse gas emissions limits for passenger vehicles and fuel economy benchmarks.

Commenting on the hearings - which are set to take place in Los Angeles, Detroit and New York - Vickie Patton, deputy general counsel at the Environmental Defense Fund, which was founded in 1967, said that the initiative is "bold" and looks to reduce pollution.

She added: "The president forged this landmark agreement with car companies, labour, states and environmentalists to provide a safe, secure and prosperous future for our kids."

The proposals come in response to a 2007 mandate from the US Supreme Court and enact an accord that president Barack Obama reached with a range of automobile manufacturers, ecological organisations and other bodies.

Posted by Claire Manning