Boxer to EPA: Get Moving

California lawmakers have long accused the Environmental Protection Agency of dragging its feet in deciding whether the state can have a waiver to enact its landmark 2002 emissions control law.

Now Sen. Barbara Boxer has a plan to make the agency start hopping.

Legislation introduced today would force the agency to make a decision regarding California’s waiver request within 30 days of passage of the legislation. It also mandates the agency decide within 180 days any future waiver requests from California’s motor vehicles program.

The bill was introduced with Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., as Florida officials prepared to also enact strict greenhouse gas laws. Sen. Dianne Feinstein also co-sponsored the bill.

EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson will testify before Boxer’s Committee on the Environment and Public Works on July 26. In addition to discussing California’s waiver request, he also is expected to face tough questions about Transportation Department officials who lobbied lawmakers to fight the state’s waiver.

Said Boxer, ``Administrator Johnson has been clearly put on notice that EPA should long ago have granted California’s waiver to regulate global warming pollution from cars.’’