The Trump administration is set to roll back California's authority to set their own vehicle emission standards and could make the announcement on Wednesday, multiple reports state.
California is allowed to set its own tougher vehicle emission standards thanks to a legal waiver included in the 1970 Clean Air Act. The Trump administration indicated it would find that the Environmental Protection Agency previously erred in granting California the legal authority to develop stricter standards than the federal government. Thirteen other states have adopted California's stricter emission standards.
The move by the Trump administration was telegraphed early last summer when they unveiled a plan to roll back the stricter standards set by President Barack Obama's administration. That plan has been delayed as the White House looks for adequate legal justification for the rollbacks, until then, the administration moved forward with one part of its plan, stripping California of its authority to set the tougher standards.
The move by Trump's EPA may not matter anyway after California and four major automotive companies struck a deal for the companies to comply with the state's stricter standards back in July. The four automotive companies, Ford Motor Company, Volkswagen of America, Honda and BMW, agreed to manufacture cars that average 51 miles per gallon by 2026, slightly less than what California wanted.
The White House says it wants to roll the standard back for automotive companies to about 37 miles per gallon.
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