Trump to revoke California emissions standards

[K1052]

By trying to void the Clean Air Act waiver that has been routinely granted to CA for half a century.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...litics&utm_medium=social&utm_content=politics

The Trump administration will seek to revoke California’s authority to regulate automobile emissions -- including its mandate for electric car sales -- in a proposed revision of Obama-era standards, according to three people familiar with the plan.

As part of the effort, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will propose revoking the Clean Air Act waiver granted to California that has allowed the state to regulate carbon emissions from vehicle tailpipes and force carmakers to sell electric vehicles in the state in higher numbers, according to three people familiar with the plan.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will likewise assert that California is barred from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from autos under the 1975 law that established the first federal fuel-efficiency requirements, the people said.

California, for its part, rejects the idea that its 48-year ability to write its own tailpipe emission rules should end. “We have the law on our side, as well as the people of the country and the people of the world,” said Dan Sperling, a member of the state’s Air Resources Board said.

The most-populous U.S. state and 16 others plus the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit on May 2 seeking to block the Trump administration’s effort to unravel the Obama-era emissions targets. Sperling said that number will grow as more and more people come to realize how fundamentally Trump is attacking the idea of states’ rights.

Also haha automakers who asked for the regs to be adjusted:

Caught somewhere in the middle are automakers, which in recent months have stressed they would not support freezing the federal targets and want Washington and Sacramento to continue linking their vehicle efficiency goals. While they spent the first year of the Trump administration attacking Obama’s rules as too costly, they fear the regulatory uncertainty that a years-long court battle over a rollback would create. In addition, other major auto markets such as China and Europe are pressing forward with tougher mandates of their own for cleaner cars.

The EPA who is devolving pollution standards to state control now is going to have to argue in court why CA's longstanding waiver to set their own standards, enshrined in law, should not be granted. Hope the feds and the automakers both get fucked hard for this.

 

[vi edit]

The party of state rights...only when it's red states. The fledgling fascist administration continues to try and stretch it's wings.

 

[Jaskalas]

The Trump administration will seek to revoke California’s authority to regulate automobile emissions...

What.... those are CA roads. Also, CA cars sales. The feds have no authority there, even if they make an effective move against existing emission standards all CA has to do is pass new legislation to counter the move. And CA is not divided so they can actually act to fix things. Unlike the rest of the country.

 

[dank69]

What.... those are CA roads. Also, CA cars sales. The feds have no authority there, even if they make an effective move against existing emission standards all CA has to do is pass new legislation to counter the move. And CA is not divided so they can actually act to fix things. Unlike the rest of the country.

Yes but California is experiencing a great economy under liberal rule so it's pretty much time for them to give power back to the GOP.

 

[sandorski]

No rhyme, no reason, just chaos.

 

[Amused]

Having grown up in LA (San Fernando Valley) in the 70/80s I can attest to how extremely effective CA's clean air efforts have been.

In the 70s and early/mid 80s, the air here looked like Beijing does today. Thick brown air that appeared so often, clear days were remarkable.

Regularly I would get smog induced symptoms that, after being active outdoors for just a short while, would make taking deep breaths EXTREMELY painful (knife in the chest). We would sit still taking shallow breaths until the attacks cleared up.

Now I can hop on my road bike and trek 50-100 miles through LA on the worst smog day and not have an issue at all.

Today, LA's worst smog days are better than its best smog days in the 70s.

That alone is enough to convince me how very important CA's clean air efforts have been.

 

[Flapdrol1337]

Just plain evil I guess.

 

[Indus]

Having grown up in LA (San Fernando Valley) in the 70/80s I can attest to how extremely effective CA's clean air efforts have been.

In the 70s and early/mid 80s, the air here looked like Beijing does today. Thick brown air that appeared so often, clear days were remarkable.

Regularly I would get smog induced symptoms that, after being active outdoors for just a short while, would make taking deep breaths EXTREMELY painful (knife in the chest). We would sit still taking shallow breaths until the attacks cleared up.

Now I can hop on my road bike and trek 50-100 miles through LA on the worst smog day and not have an issue at all.

Today, LA's worst smog days are better than its best smog days in the 70s.

That alone is enough to convince me how very important CA's clean air efforts have been.

Doesn't matter. Trump wants you to sniff cyanide from the greatest cars ever produced in Trumpland.

 

[Jaskalas]

Yes but California is experiencing a great economy under liberal rule so it's pretty much time for them to give power back to the GOP.

The great economy you boast of is in the midst of 40 years of trickle down ruin. It's like entering 2016 bragging of the economy. That doesn't sell to the people. Yes, thanks for not setting it on fire but people are still in pain. They need action above and beyond, not platitudes for Wall Street. We need a full repeal of the Reagan Revolution AND a leap forward to prepare for the future of automation. Rising isolationism and populism is a response to our need for a newer deal.

The status quo will not suffice. Democrats need to stop trying to attach it to themselves.

 

[K1052]

Have to wonder what the automakers opt to do now. Abiding by the already set rules through 2026 seems like the best option with the export market emission standards tightening and the fact that if you don't CARB will be out for blood when CA regains their waiver (in the vent the feds somehow prevail in the suit which I really doubt).

 

[Jhhnn]

No rhyme, no reason, just chaos.

Putin loves his havoc generator in the White House. Trump leads his fifth column in the war against America.

 

[Jhhnn]

The great economy you boast of is in the midst of 40 years of trickle down ruin. It's like entering 2016 bragging of the economy. That doesn't sell to the people. Yes, thanks for not setting it on fire but people are still in pain. They need action above and beyond, not platitudes for Wall Street. We need a full repeal of the Reagan Revolution AND a leap forward to prepare for the future of automation. Rising isolationism and populism is a response to our need for a newer deal.

The status quo will not suffice. Democrats need to stop trying to attach it to themselves.

Yeh, we should detach ourselves from the progress we've made. That way, the GOP gets to reduce it to rubble & we can eventually start over from there, right?

 

[theeedude]

The next president will restore the waiver, and then what? If you are an automaker, are you going to start a designing a car now that can only be sold in CA while Trump is president?

 

[repoman0]

The next president will restore the waiver, and then what? If you are an automaker, are you going to start a designing a car now that can only be sold in CA while Trump is president?

Meanwhile foreign fuel economy standards will remain unchanged or more stringent, so foreign automakers will have a whole fleet of compliant models ready to sell in California once the waiver is restored. Sounds great for US automakers if they actually take advantage of this non-starter!

 

[Commodus]

This sounds scary, but thankfully the practical reality is that this won't amount to much. You can be guaranteed a protracted court battle. And more importantly, car makers aren't about to reverse course. Even the proposal was guaranteed to happen... what, are companies like Ford about to stop their transitions toward hybrids and EVs? It's not like standards in Europe and elsewhere are getting softer, and it simply looks better from a marketing standpoint to reduce emissions, improve fuel economy and save the planet.

This reminds me a lot of Trump's attempts to prop up the dying coal industry. It's more a symbolic attempt to fight progress than a practical change. At most, this might slow the transition to EVs; it will not stop the transition. And it might not slow the transition at all, since there might not be a final decision before Trump is out.

 

[K1052]

This sounds scary, but thankfully the practical reality is that this won't amount to much. You can be guaranteed a protracted court battle. And more importantly, car makers aren't about to reverse course. Even the proposal was guaranteed to happen... what, are companies like Ford about to stop their transitions toward hybrids and EVs? It's not like standards in Europe and elsewhere are getting softer, and it simply looks better from a marketing standpoint to reduce emissions, improve fuel economy and save the planet.

This reminds me a lot of Trump's attempts to prop up the dying coal industry. It's more a symbolic attempt to fight progress than a practical change. At most, this might slow the transition to EVs; it will not stop the transition. And it might not slow the transition at all, since there might not be a final decision before Trump is out.

Yes, I am very doubtful the EPA will prevail in the end. Any action is likely to be subject to a stay while the case winds through the courts.

 

[Jaskalas]

Yeh, we should detach ourselves from the progress we've made. That way, the GOP gets to reduce it to rubble & we can eventually start over from there, right?

You are touting something that people are not feeling. That's why workers are vulnerable to exploitation by Trump. They want to vote for new solutions, not status quo.

 

[Thump553]

According to The Google, 13 other states plus Washington DC have adopted CA emission standards. Surprise, surprise most are blue states.

 

[Jhhnn]

You are touting something that people are not feeling. That's why workers are vulnerable to exploitation by Trump. They want to vote for new solutions, not status quo.

Cleaner air isn't status quo.

 

[zinfamous]

the GOP really does hate "state's rights," and loves overarching federal power. They really fucking do!

oh wait, really, it's no different. This "state's right" isn't about murdering blackie or depriving blackie of the vote, so it isn't the same thing, really. Carry on, GOP.

 

[Incorruptible]

The government has no right to attack carmakers like this. Carmakers should be able to make whatever cars they want.

 

[MrSquished]

The government has no right to attack carmakers like this. Carmakers should be able to make whatever cars they want.

And I should be forced to breathe the polluted air they put out amirite?

 

[Jhhnn]

The government has no right to attack carmakers like this. Carmakers should be able to make whatever cars they want.

Which leads to the usual tragedy of the commons. The air in some cities around the globe is absolutely poisonous for exactly that reason.

 

[Incorruptible]

And I should be forced to breathe the polluted air they put out amirite?

Yes. Why should they have to make electric cars. If the people want them then they will build them.

 

[MrSquished]

Yes. Why should they have to make electric cars. If the people want them then they will build them.

So you do not value my ability to pursue life liberty and happiness - because my happiness is not breathing smoggy poisonous air.