Steel Markets
September 26, 2019
Trump Challenges California in Move to Lower Vehicle Emission Standards
Written by Tim Triplett
Last week, President Trump revoked the federal waiver that had allowed California to set vehicle emissions standards that are more restrictive than the federal standards. California and 22 other states quickly sued the Trump administration in federal court over the states’ rights to protect their own air quality. The president’s move sets in motion a legal fight likely to last well beyond the 2020 election, but has implications for both the auto industry and the environment.
The administration maintains that the auto industry needs a single unified standard with more reasonable emissions goals. If they can produce cars and trucks that are less expensive, more consumers will buy them, resulting in a net benefit to the environment as older vehicles are removed from the highways, they contend. Opponents argue that weakening the Obama-era emissions and fuel economy targets will slow the development of new technologies, such as electric vehicles, and is a step in the wrong direction for the environment and the fight against global warming.
