With President Barack Obama barely a day in office, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger lost no time in writing the nation's new chief executive to ask that he direct the EPA to favorably reconsider the Golden State's request for a Clean Air Act waiver.

Granting the waiver would enable California and 13 other states, whose governors were sent a copy of Schwarzenegger's letter today, to enforce tougher laws to reduce auto emissions.

The 14 states sought to launch programs to cut GHG emissions from passenger vehicles 30 percent by 2016. They were blocked from doing so by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which denied the waiver last March and made official the rejection it had signaled in December 2007.

In seeking a review of what he described as a "fundamentally flawed decision," Schwarzenegger wrote the president, "Your administration has a unique opportunity to both support the pioneering leadership of these states and move America toward global leadership on addressing climate change.

"I ask that you direct the U.S. EPA to act promptly and favorably on California's reconsideration request so that we may continue the critical work of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on global climate change."

Schwarzenegger's letter, available here, underscores a letter also sent today from California Air Board Resources Chair Mary Nichols to Lisa Jackson, the administrator-designee for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to request reconsideration. Nichols' letter is available here.

The regulations California wants to enforce would play a key role in the state's larger drive to reduce GHG emissions by 30 percent by 2020 to combat global warming.