Trump Declares War on Clean Air- Rollbacks Cal Car Waiver Rule

This morning Trump announced that his administration is revoking California’s Clean Air Act waiver, continuing his largest attack on our clean air yet. Trump will revoke a decades-old rule that allows California to set stricter car pollution standards than federal standards. It also affects the population in 14 states plus D.C. that have adopted these stronger restrictions on pollution from cars, and 11 states that have adopted the Zero Emission Vehicle standards.  The clean car standards protect the environment and the public health of more than 118 million people, upwards of 40 percent of the U.S. population.

“Trump has declared war on our clean air by rolling back the California waiver rule. This move will impact New Jersey and 13 other states because we are tied to the program. This means dirty air for over 118 million people. We will see more asthma and respiratory problems from tailpipe emissions, less green jobs, all while we pay more to fuel our vehicles. Trump is trying to block other states from having stricter laws than federal laws, this is an unprecedented move and an illegal violation of the Clean Air Act. Trump has sided with Big Oil which will hurt our lungs and wallets,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Normally the federal government sets the floor so that states can set standards above that. Now the Trump administration is trying to use the floor as the ceiling for air pollution standards. This means higher costs and more air pollution for us.”

By revoking a special waiver the state has relied on for years, the administration will be saying that no state can set more ambitious pollution controls than those adopted by the federal government. California has the authority to set its own greenhouse gas rules for cars under the Clean Air Act and a waiver granted by the Obama administration. Some of the projected effects of EPA’s rollbacks to the CAFE standards for automobiles and Clean Power Plan are 41,500 deaths over a decade, 41,000 premature deaths over a decade, and 1.67 million cases of respiratory ailments over a decade, where over 50 percent of those cases are related to children respiratory ailments over a decade.

“Trump is being vindictive against California and other states who want to protect its people and reduce GHG’s and air pollution. The rollback to the CA waiver rule comes right after dismantling the CAFE rules. By eliminating the waiver and weakening standards, we will increase our dependency on dirty fuels and undermine our renewable energy use and green jobs. Rollbacks to the CAFÉ and CA Waiver rules will lead to more premature deaths, and respiratory ailments, especially among children. Each year, American passenger vehicles spew upwards of three trillion tons of carbon pollution into the air by burning about 121 billion gallons of gasoline. Trump’s actions could heavily increase our depends on oil, gas, and coal over things like solar and wind.,” said Tittel. “As long as we give Big Oil & Gas a free pass to continue to drill for fossil fuels, we will never be able to combat climate change.”

Despite ongoing efforts by the Trump Administration to dismantle fuel efficiency standards, four automakers have struck a deal with California that would circumvent the Trump administration’s pending freeze of fuel efficiency standards. The automakers agreed to produce vehicles that could average 50 mpg by 2026. The Obama-era goal was 50 mpg by 2025. That would undercut efforts by the Trump administration to freeze the standards at 37 mpg.

“Rolling back the CA waiver interferes with businesses manufacturing cleaner cars that the public wants, this is an attack on not only the environment, but on free markets too. Automakers are doing what’s right for the environment and the country in moving forward with cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Honda, Volkswagen, Ford and BMW, know the demand is there for new, cleaner technology and greener transportation, and they’re going to meet that demand, despite what Trump does. This shows that no matter what Trump does, the market and industry can push us toward higher fuel-efficiency standards,” said Tittel.

The California waiver rule has been in place since 1992 that has saved many lives and prevented air pollution across the country and in New Jersey.

“Of all of the rollbacks and attacks on the environment, this may be one of the worst and have the biggest long-term consequences. Trump has sided with Big Oil over the people and over the car industry. His rollbacks to the CA Waiver will mean more dirty fossil fuel use that will undermine any effort to combat climate change,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “This illegal and immoral attack on clean air and the rights of states to protect their citizens will not go unchallenged. Sierra Club will hold this administration accountable in court.”