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Calling Standards ‘Too High,’ E.P.A. Moves to Relax Car Pollution Rules Calling Car Pollution Standards ‘Too High,’ E.P.A. Sets Up Fight With California
(about 1 hour later)
The Trump administration on Monday launched an effort to weaken Obama-era greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for automobiles, moving to reverse one of the single biggest steps any government has taken to rein in emissions of earth-warming gases. Want the latest climate news in your inbox? You can sign up here to receive Climate Fwd:, our new email newsletter.
“The Obama Administration’s determination was wrong,” Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said in a news release. “Obama’s E.P.A. cut the Midterm Evaluation process short with politically charged expediency, made assumptions about the standards that didn’t comport with reality, and set the standards too high.” The Trump administration on Monday launched an effort to weaken Obama-era fuel economy standards for automobiles — and demanded that California, which has vowed to enforce stricter standards, fall in line — setting up a clash over one of the single biggest steps any government has taken to rein in emissions of earth-warming gases.
The E.P.A. is also re-examining a federal waiver granted to California that has allowed it and 12 other states to follow more stringent air pollution rules, the news release said. That move could propel the Trump administration closer to a showdown with California, which has vowed to stick with the stricter rules even if Washington rolls back federal standards. Laid down in 2012, the fuel economy standards would have required automakers to nearly double the average fuel economy of new cars and trucks to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. If fully implemented, the rules would have cut oil consumption by about 12 billion barrels over the lifetime of all the cars affected by the regulations and reduced carbon dioxide pollution by about six billion tons.
Put forth by President Barack Obama in 2012, the fuel economy standards would have required automakers to nearly double the average fuel economy of new cars and trucks to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. If fully implemented, the rules would have cut oil consumption by about 12 billion barrels over the lifetime of all the cars affected by the regulations and reduced carbon dioxide pollution by about six billion tons. The E.P.A. did not say how far those rules should be rolled back, only that it would start a new rule-making process to set “more appropriate” standards. “The Obama Administration’s determination was wrong,” Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said in a news release. Obama’s E.P.A. signed off on the standards “with politically charged expediency, made assumptions about the standards that didn’t comport with reality, and set the standards too high,” he said.
He also took aim at a federal waiver granted to California that allows it and 12 other states to follow more stringent air pollution rules, the news release said.
“Cooperative federalism doesn’t mean that one state can dictate standards for the rest of the country,” Mr. Pruitt said.
Mr. Pruitt’s challenge raised the specter of a sharply divided auto market in the United States: one with cleaner cars in California and in states that follow its lead, and another with higher-polluting cars concentrated in the middle of the country.
That could pose a logistical challenge for automakers, requiring substantially different car designs, sending the American auto industry into uncharted territory.
Mary Nichols, California’s top air pollution regulator, vowed to defend the state’s stricter rules.
“This is a politically motivated effort to weaken clean vehicle standards,” said Ms. Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board. California, she said, “will vigorously defend the existing clean vehicle standards.”
The E.P.A. has not said how far those rules should be rolled back, only that it would start a new rule-making process to set “more appropriate” standards.
Mr. Pruitt was expected to publicly announce the effort on Tuesday at a Chevrolet dealership in suburban Virginia. But those plans have been complicated by an angry pushback from some dealerships who do not want to be associated with the announcement, according to two Chevy dealers who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing their relationship with General Motors.
“They don’t want the E.P.A. to highlight Chevy,” said Adam Lee, chairman of Lee Auto Malls, which runs Nissan, Honda and Chrysler dealerships in Maine, and is close to the Chevy dealerships’ thinking. “They don’t want to be the bad guys.”
“Trump has been saying these standards are crushing the auto industry. But we’ve had record years for the past four or five years, in terms of sales and profit,” he added. “So I’m not sure what he’s thinking. It almost makes you think he doesn’t have the facts.”
In its defense of the Obama-era rules, California was joined Monday by a coalition of at least seven state attorneys-general, including Eric Schneiderman of New York, as well as more than 30 mayors, who said they would “vigorously resist” any effort by the Trump administration to prevent states and cities from enforcing emissions standards.
“We are committed to using our market power and our regulatory authority to ensure that the vehicle fleets deployed in our jurisdictions fully meet or exceed the promises made by the auto industry in 2012,” the coalition announced.
Environmental groups also assailed the move.
“The Trump administration’s decision will take America backward by jeopardizing successful safeguards that are working to clean our air, save drivers money at the pump, and drive technological innovation that creates jobs,” Luke Tonachel, director of clean vehicles and fuels at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement.
“The American public overwhelmingly supports strong vehicle standards because they cut the cost of driving, reduce air pollution, and combat climate change. Backing off now is irresponsible and unwarranted.”