Officials in eight Northeastern states are working to adopt California's strict air pollution standards for cars and trucks in an effort to reduce smog. Fifteen cities or rural areas in the region have been named by the Environmental Protection Agency as failing to meet its ozone standard. Eleven cities violate the standard for carbon monoxide, most of which comes from motor vehicles. Metropolitan New York is the nation's worst offender for carbon monoxide and third worst for ozone. The eight states _ New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont _ already are implementing regulations to reduce gasoline volatility in the summertime, starting next year, in an attempt to lower smog levels. Air pollution directors of those states are slated to discuss the ``California plan'' again this week before formally proposing regional adoption, according to Michael Bradley, executive director of the Boston-based Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management. Environmental officials in Vermont, Massachusetts and New York have authority to proceed without legislative approval, he said. Experts agree that much of the ozone at any point on the northeastern seaboard originates with pollution upwind in the Boston-Washington megapolis, and it is practically impossible for any state to control the problem by itself. An EPA gasoline regulation, expected to be issued later this year, would not lower volatility to the new NESCAUM level until 1992. Gasoline vapors help form ozone, the major component of smog. The more volatile the fuel, the more vapor that escapes and the more smog that is formed. Few states have been willing to get out in front of the federal government on initiatives against air pollution, with California the most notable exception. California pioneered auto air pollution controls in the 1960s and the Clean Air Act of 1970 gave the state the right to impose stricter requirements than the federal standards for the rest of the country. To avoid the confusion of 50 potentially different standards, Congress said no other state could develop its own plan _ but any state, with EPA's permission, may adopt the entire set of California regulations. So far, none has. According to NESCAUM, the regional adoption of the California standards would cut emissions of the three principal auto pollutants _ carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and gasoline vapor _ by 50 percent within 15 years, as the car and truck fleets are replaced with models with superior pollution controls. ``One of the questions we're researching is, are we buying into future revisions of the California standards?'' Bradley said. The assessment, though, is ``extremely favorable to air quality,'' and ``My directors have said, `Let's go forward.''' The move likely means the elimination of the entire fleet of light-duty diesel vehicles, and the emission requirements could mean a slightly higher pricetag for gasoline-powered cars and trucks. California models look the same, except for required dashboard indicators tied to pollution control components. California exhausts may contain only 40 percent of the nitrogen oxides and 64 percent of the unburned gasoline permitted elsewhere. California permits twice as much carbon monoxide as the federal standard, but is planning to bring that limit down to the federal level. The auto industry has built cars to the California standards since the mid-1970s, although they don't like building two versions of the same car. California accounts for 11 percent of the national auto market. The eight Northeastern states account for 13 percent of the market. For some makes of cars, only the California version is built and it is marketed nationwide. All basic models are offered in California, but some engine-transmission combinations may not be available there. Bradley said NESCAUM had discussed its intention with the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association and MVMA had not raised any concerns. Ann Carlson of MVMA's Washington office said, ``I don't know that we've taken a position.'' Bill Noack of General Motors Corp. said he was unable to locate any executives who were aware of NESCAUM's plans. According to the EPA, the cities or areas in the eight states which have violated the carbon monoxide standard are, in descending order of severity, New York City; Hartford, Conn.; Manchester, N.H.; Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Nashua, New Hampshire, Newark, N.J.; Springfield, Mass; Bergen-Passaic, N.J.; Jersey City, N.J.; and Boston. Those identified as failing to meet the ozone standard are New York City and suburbs, a Connecticut-Massachusetts area including the cities of Springfield, Mass., and Bristol, Hartford, Middletown, New Britain, New Haven and New London in Connecticut; Providence, R.I.; Knox County, Maine; York County, Maine; Atlantic City, N.J.; Boston; New Bedford, Mass.; Portland, Maine; Hancock County, Maine; Jefferson County, New York; Lincoln County, Maine; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Worcester, Mass.; and Kennebunk County, Maine.