California sues EPA to impose its own tough auto emission standards

California sued the federal government Thursday to force a decision about whether the state can impose the nation’s first greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks.\nMore than a dozen other states are poised to follow California’s lead if it is granted the waiver from federal law, presenting a challenge to automakers who may have to adapt to a patchwork of state regulations.\nThe state’s lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., was expected after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed last spring to take legal action.\nCalifornia has been seeking a waiver under the federal Clean Air Act for nearly two years. The state wants to implement a 2002 state law that would make automakers build vehicles that emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions by the 2009 model year, cutting emissions by about a quarter by 2030.