Bill proposed to keep NHTSA employees from getting automaker jobs for three years

Chris Shunk — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety

Toyota's very public recall problems have cast light on what critics suggest is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's sometimes cozy relationship with automakers. A new report in The Detroit News shows that new legislation is being proposed that aims to curb workers transitioning between the government agency and the automakers which NHTSA oversees. On Wednesday, Senator Barbara Boxer of California (above) introduced legislation that would increase the amount of time NHTSA employees would have to wait to work for an automaker to three years. The legislation, if passed, would reportedly only block NHTSA employees from working with OEMs in any capacity that included oral or written interaction with the government agency.

The Democrat senator called the movement of employees from NHTSA to OEMs a "revolving door," giving automakers "undue influence on agency decisions." Violators of the proposed requirements could face a fine of up to $55,000, while automakers could be fined $100,000 or more.

The legislation comes after news of some automakers hiring ex-NHTSA employees became public knowledge. In the case of Toyota's unintended acceleration recalls, it was discovered that two ex-NHTSA employees working at Toyota were directly involved with the administration's investigation into possible safety defects. Ex-NHTSA head Joan Claybrook said in a prepared statement delivered to the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection that all three domestic automakers as well as Honda and Suzuki were among the automakers hiring workers from the government agency.

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Alex Wong/Getty]

Bill proposed to keep NHTSA employees from getting automaker jobs for three years originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Senate working to force EPA to grant California a waiver

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:02:00 EST

Senator Barbara Boxer said regarding the EPA's denial of California's waiver request: "Administrator Johnson's decision to deny the waiver was not supported by the facts, by the law, by the science, or by precedent. I will use every available tool to ensure that California and the nation are able to reduce the pollution that causes global warming. One of those tools is legislation that essentially overturns Mr. Johnson's actions."

The bill is in response to the discovery that the EPA's own documents that say that California has "compelling and extraordinary conditions" that would satisfy reasons for granting a waiver. In spite of those internal findings, Steven Johnson, EPA chief, denied the waiver, saying "it is my view that California does not have a need for these greenhouse gas standards to meet compelling and extraordinary conditions."

The internal EPA briefings also conclude that if the auto industry sued the EPA to overturn its new regulations, that the EPA would win. However, if California were to sue for its own standards, that California would win. So Boxer and seventeen senatorial colleagues (15 D, 2 R) have introduced a bill that would compel the EPA to grant the Golden State its wishes. And if California gets what it wants, then 18 states are in line right behind it to adhere to the higher standards.

[Source: Green Car Congress]

Senate working to force EPA to grant California a waiver originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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