States will argue in the forthcoming suit that the EPA has violated requirements to act within a reasonable period time.More than a dozen states including New York are preparing to sue the Bush administration to stop the federal government from blocking the states' efforts to regulate emissions from cars and trucks.

According to the New York Times, the states want to begin setting their own greenhouse emission standards because of the federal government's unresponsiveness to the issue. The states say the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has acted slowly in granting California a waiver to police emissions in that state -- a condition that must be met before any other state can move forward with their own regulations.

In September, a federal court in Vermont rejected attempts by automakers to block the state's proposed regulations.