General Motors Corp. and other carmakers lost a bid to block carbon-reduction rules in Vermont, suffering a defeat in the first case to challenge states' right to regulate pollutants linked to global warming, Bloomberg News reported. U.S. District Judge William Sessions ruled against the auto industry last week in Burlington, Vt., saying regulations enacted by California and adopted by Vermont and other states aren't pre-empted by federal rules as carmakers argued, Bloomberg said. He also said the industry, which claims it would cost billions of dollars to comply with the rules, hadn't shown they were too burdensome. The decision, if upheld, will bolster efforts by California, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts and other states to regulate carbon dioxide and gases linked to global warming in advance of federal regulations, Bloomberg said. The decision could force car companies to spend more to speed up development of more fuel-efficient vehicles. States that have adopted the California rules represent about 40% of the U.S. auto market. L&MT
