September 27, 2019 (BOSTON, MA) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) sued the Trump administration today, challenging the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new rule that rolls back states’ successful clean car standards. The new rule unlawfully revokes states’ authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars and small trucks.
“Once again the Trump Administration is pandering to big oil and gas at the expense of our health and our communities,” said Emily Green, CLF Staff Attorney. “This new rule attacks critical state standards that keep our air clean. As we run out of time to tackle the climate crisis, this policy moves the country in the wrong direction. It leads directly to a dirtier, more polluted future. No one, not even automakers, wants to hit reverse on these standards.”
The Clean Air Act affords states the option to adopt 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 these standards and the ability for states to create their own regulations.
CLF filed this lawsuit alongside fellow environmental groups. It comes after a lawsuit filed last year challenging the first step in the rollback of the Obama-era clean car standards. You can find a full copy of the complaint here.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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