California has regained its authority under the federal Clean Air Act to implement its own greenhouse gas emission standards and zero-emission vehicle sales mandate, according to a recent news release.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency restored California's authority to enforce those standards and mandates following the agency's reconsideration of a portion of the 2019 Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule. The agency found that "the actions taken under the previous administration as a part of SAFE-1 were decided in error and are now entirely rescinded," EPA said in a release.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan
| epa.gov/
"Today, we proudly reaffirm California's longstanding authority to lead in addressing pollution from cars and trucks," EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in the release. "Our partnership with states to confront the climate crisis has never been more important. With today’s action, we reinstate an approach that for years has helped advance clean technologies and cut air pollution for people not just in California, but for the U.S. as a whole."
With EPA's issuance of its 157-page Notice of Decision about the agency's reconsideration of previous withdrawal of its waiver for California’s Advanced Clean Car Program under now-former President Donald Trump's administration, California is resuming its light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas emission standards. The state also has the go-ahead to resume its zero-emission vehicle mandate. California will again be enforcing the standards and directives as prescribed under the U.S. Clean Air Act.
The EPA's action also lifts the prohibition on other states to adopt California emission standards instead of the Federal standards.
EPA announced last April that it would be reconsidering the Trump Administration's withdrawal of California's authority to enforce greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks. That announcement followed now President Joe Biden's Executive Order 13990, "Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis." Biden signed the executive order the day of his inauguration Jan. 20, 2021.
In September 2019, the Trump Administration rescinded California's authority to enforce stringent auto emission rules with the then-president would lead to the building of more cars and, therefore, more jobs.
"Many more cars will be produced under the new and uniform standard meaning significantly more JOBS JOBS JOBS!" Trump, who lost his bid for re-election during the following year's General Election, said in a Sept. 18, 2019 Twitter post. "Automakers should seize this opportunity because without this alternative to California you will be out of business."
