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Environmentalists slam US fuel efficiency rules

With gas prices continuing to rise, the Bush administration has proposed new rules to compel auto manufacturers to make pickup trucks, minivans and some sport utility vehicles more fuel efficient. Environmentalists said the plan would do little to wean the nation from its dependence on foreign oil.

The proposal would require the auto industry to raise standards for most vehicles other than cars beginning in 2008. All automakers would have to comply with the new system by 2011.

"This is a plan that will save gas and result in less pain at the pump for motorists without sacrificing safety," Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said.

The US currently consumes about 530 billion liters of gasoline per year, according to Energy Department statistics.

But the plan would not apply to the largest SUVs, such as the Hummer H2, or passenger cars.

Environmental advocates, however, panned the approach, saying it failed to go far enough to reduce the US' dependence on imported oil while creating new loopholes that would weaken the requirements. Passenger cars and light trucks, a vehicle category that includes pickups, minivans and SUVs, account for about 40 percent of the nation's oil use.

"At a time when Americans are paying record prices for gas, the Bush administration has sided with its cronies in the auto industry and rejected real solutions," said Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club's global-warming program.

Senator John Kerry called it "backward looking" and "another lost opportunity to help our security, economy and environment."

John Graham, director of the Office of Management and Budget's office of information and regulatory affairs, said the plan was projected to save more fuel than any previous rulemaking in the history of the light-truck CAFE program.

The proposal will be evaluated by the auto industry and interest groups over the next three months. It must be finalized by next April to take effect for the 2008 model year.
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