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November 22, 2019 (BOSTON, MA) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) sued the Trump administration today, challenging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision to revoke California’s authority to set stricter clean car standards. The new rule, jointly published with the Department of Transportation, unlawfully revokes states’ authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars and small trucks.
“Yet again the Trump Administration is pandering to big oil and gas at the expense of our health and our communities,” said Emily Green, CLF Senior Attorney. “As we run out of time to tackle the climate crisis, this policy moves the country in the wrong direction. It will lead directly to a dirtier, more polluted future. We cannot afford to hit reverse on these standards.”
The Clean Air Act affords states the option to adopt California’s stricter standards to protect their citizens by regulating carbon pollution from cars and trucks. Five of six New England states have done so. The new rule rolls back the states’ ability to follow these more stringent regulations.
CLF filed this lawsuit alongside fellow environmental groups. It comes after a lawsuit filed in September challenging the Department of Transportation’s rollback of the same rule. You can find a full copy of the petition here.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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