The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal today to repeal greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks would significantly raise costs for consumers and businesses and dramatically increase climate pollution and harms to human health.
The EPA’s plan is part of a proposed rule that would rescind a 2009 finding that greenhouse gas emissions harm human health, a finding that means by law the agency must regulate them. Undoing that finding could tie the hands of future administrations from setting numerous policies to address climate change.
“Gutting vehicle pollution standards isn’t just bad for our health and the climate, it’s going to drive up costs for families and businesses,” said Peter Huether, senior transportation research associate at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. “Drivers would pay thousands of dollars more in fuel and maintenance costs over the life of a vehicle, and businesses could lose billions annually from higher trucking costs. These costs would ripple through the economy, raising prices for everyday goods and undercutting job growth.”
The new proposed rule will be open to public comment before it can be finalized. A final rule would likely be challenged in court.
Earlier this month, Congress disarmed the other key federal regulatory tool for reducing fueling costs for vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has for decades set fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. But the sweeping tax and domestic policy bill signed by President Trump included a provision zeroing out any civil penalty for manufacturers producing vehicles that fail to meet those standards.
