The Environmental Protection Agency announced last week that it is granting a waiver request that will allow the state of California to enforce emissions standards for new vehicles.

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said the decision is "consistent with the Clean Air Act" and "reinforces the historic agreement on nationwide emissions standards developed by a broad coalition of industry, government and environmental stakeholders earlier this year."

A previous waiver request, made in 2005, had been denied on the grounds that California allegedly didn't need its emissions standards to meet "extraordinary conditions." Under President Obama, the EPA re-assessed the request and determined it would be a step forward.

The new standard continues a trend of vehicle emissions reform in the Obama administration. In May, President Obama announced a national policy for increasing fuel economy and reducing emissions for all new automobiles in the U.S.