California says Obama car pollution move a big win

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's Monday move toward letting California and other states regulate greenhouse gases from cars is an "historic win" for clean air, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Monday.

Obama told the federal Environmental Protection Agency to immediately reconsider its refusal to let the most populous state control carbon emissions from autos that contribute to global warming.

California, which has the most aggressive U.S. global warming policy, took that as a sign it would get its way.

"Allowing California and other states to aggressively reduce their own harmful vehicle tailpipe emissions would be a historic win for clean air and for millions of Americans who want more fuel-efficient, environmentally-friendly cars," said Schwarzenegger in a statement.

More than a dozen other states plan to follow California's lead, and Mary Nichols, the top climate change official in California, estimates that more than half U.S. new cars sold would be affected by rules in that small group of key states.

The EPA needs to grant a so-called waiver to California to allow it to reduce global warming pollution from vehicles, but the Bush administration denied the request, first made in 2005.

(Reporting by Peter Henderson, Editing by Sandra Maler)