California will now have the authority to set its own tailpipe pollution standards. This is in direct opposition to Trump’s policy. It will likely also bring back stricter emissions standards on new passenger vehicles across the country. The Environmental Protection Agency approved Wednesday a waiver allowing California to set strict emission rules for cars and SUVs. This includes mandates for zero-emission vehicles, which do not contribute to global climate change.
At least 15 US states and the District of Columbia signed up to California’s vehicle standard. These standards are more stringent than federal rules and are intended to address California’s severe air pollution problems. According to the American Lung Association (ALA), seven of the ten U.S. cities with the highest levels of ozone pollution live in California. Six of America’s 10 most polluted cities are measured by year-round particle emissions.
Trump’s 2019 decision by former President Donald Trump to revoke California’s authority to set its own emissions limits was one of his most notable actions to repeal environmental rules that he considered too burdensome for businesses. Climate change can be addressed by regulating vehicle emissions.
President Joe Biden has made slowing the climate change a top priority in his administration. Transportation accounts for 29% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. It is the single largest source. Within the transportation sector, passenger cars and trucks are the largest contributor, accounting for 58% of all transportation-related emissions and 17% of overall U.S. carbon emissions.
Today, we proudly reaffirm California’s longstanding authority in addressing pollution from cars. We are restoring an approach that has, for many years, helped to improve clean technologies and reduce air pollution, not only for California but for the entire United States. Effective immediately, the waiver restores California’s authority under the federal Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions for model years 2017-2025. The California Air Resources Board will decide how to implement and enforce these standards. A Trump-era regulation that prevented other states adopting California’s standards was also removed by the waiver. They represent 36% total U.S. car market.
Officials in California, New York, and other states sought to reinstate the waiver. They claimed that California’s strict standards had improved air quality and prevented Los Angeles from being covered by smog. Last year, Rob Bonta, California Attorney General, said that California’s vehicle emissions standards are crucial to combating climate change. It is crucial to improve air quality and protect public health, as well as to drive technological innovation. The decision of EPA to restore California’s standards is a victory in public health, for the legal authority and for the rights of states,” stated Harold Winner, president and CEO, of the lung association.
Climate change is a major health crisis,” Wimmer stated. He stated that climate change is threatening the health of Americans across the country.
New bipartisan infrastructure legislation includes 500,000 new charging stations to charge electric cars and trucks. Only 2% of new U.S. vehicle sales are made entirely electric, but analysts predict that this number will rise in the coming years. Major automakers like Ford and General Motors have pledged billions to develop EVs. GM even announced a goal to eliminate gasoline-powered passenger vehicles completely by 2035.
In December, the EPA raised vehicle mileage standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This reverses a Trump-era rollback which lowered fuel efficiency standards.
The EPA rule increases mileage standards beginning in the 2023 model-year. It is projected to reach an industry-wide goal of 40 miles per gallon by 2020. The new standard is 25% higher that a Trump administration rule and 5% higher then a Biden EPA proposal.
Biden’s comprehensive environmental and social policy bill, which was stalled in the Senate for months, includes a $7500 tax credit for buyers to lower the price of electric cars.
Environmental and public-health groups hail the waiver reinstatement. However, it is now up California Gov. Gavin Newsom to impose strict emission standards for cars, and SUVs.
Now that he has the keys back, Gov. Scott Hochberg, an attorney at The Center for Biological Diversity, stated that Newsom must steer California towards the highest clean car standard and regain its climate leadership. Other than New York, California, Connecticut, Delaware and Maine follow California’s rules. Other states are also considering adopting the California standard.
Trump’s decision to cancel state waivers caused a split in the industry. Most automakers supported him, while Ford, Honda and BMW opted for California standards. General Motors and other automakers voted for California to set its own standards after Biden was inaugurated.
The California waiver was reinstated as the Biden administration proposed stricter pollution regulations for new tractor-trailer trailer rigs. This would reduce smog-and-soot-forming nitrogen oxide emissions and encourage new technologies over the next 20 years. A proposal released Monday by the EPA would require the industry to cut smog-and-soot-forming nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 90% per truck over current standards by 2031. These emissions can cause respiratory issues in people.
To limit emissions from the nearly 27 million heavy trucks, buses and buses across the country, new rules will be implemented in 2027.
(This story is not edited by Devdiscourse staff.