The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) On Wednesday, granted California approval for two critical requests to enforce stricter vehicle emissions standards, including a rule that would ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars in the state by 2035.
This move is expected to face reversal efforts by the incoming Trump administration.
The California rule is tougher than the federal standard adopted earlier this year, which tightens emissions limits but does not mandate electric vehicle sales. The EPA determined that opponents of the waivers failed to prove that either the electric vehicle rule or the separate regulation on heavy-duty vehicles violated the federal Clean Air Act.
“California has longstanding authority to request waivers from EPA to protect its residents from dangerous air pollution coming from mobile sources like cars and trucks,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. “Today’s actions follow through on EPA’s commitment to partner with states to reduce emissions and act on the threat of climate change.”
The new waiver is significant not only for California but also for over a dozen states that follow its lead in vehicle emissions standards. However, the waiver is likely to be short-lived, as President-elect Trump has pledged to revoke California’s authority to set emissions standards, part of his broader industry-friendly agenda that includes increasing fossil fuel production and rolling back key parts of the 2022 climate law.
In 2019, Trump rescinded California’s authority on emissions, but the Biden administration restored it in 2022. Any new attempt by the Trump administration to challenge California’s authority could spark legal battles that may delay any changes.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a strong advocate for climate policies, has called the new rule a significant achievement.
“California is hitting our goals years ahead of schedule,” Newsom said. “We won’t stop fighting to protect our communities from pollution and the climate crisis.”
Environmental groups have praised the EPA’s decision. Paul Cort, director of Earthjustice’s Right To Zero campaign, called the approval
“a critical step forward in protecting our lungs from pollution and our wallets from the expenses of combustion fuels.”
He added that the shift to zero-emissions vehicles would reduce smog, household costs, and create jobs in California’s clean energy sector.
The EPA’s action comes as the US announced it would review a business-backed appeal challenging a previous California waiver granted by the Biden administration.
The court will consider whether fuel producers have legal standing to challenge the waiver, which allows California to set stricter emissions limits than the national standard. A federal appeals court ruled that the fuel producers lacked standing to sue, as they failed to demonstrate how the waiver directly affected them.
Major automakers, including Ford, Honda, and Volkswagen, are already meeting California’s emission standards, according to the Biden administration. However, fuel producers argue that the appellate decision, if upheld, could threaten future challenges to administrative actions.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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