House Tries to Block California from Cleaning Its Own Air

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House of Representatives passed an unprecedented measure that could overturn California’s tailpipe emissions standards for vehicles. These standards reduce costs for drivers, boost domestic manufacturers, cut pollution, and help address the climate crisis. 

The Congressional Review Act measure passed in the House today targets the waiver that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gave California for its Advanced Clean Cars II standards. Yesterday, it passed measures aimed at the Advanced Clean Trucks and Heavy-Duty Omnibus rules. Since 1967, tne EPA has granted California more than 75 waivers, and before yesterday, Congress had never voted to overturn an EPA waiver decision.

The following is a comment from Kathy Harris, director of clean vehicles at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council): 

“This vote is an unprecedented and reckless attack on states’ legal authority to address the tailpipe pollution causing asthma, lung disease, and heart conditions.

“These EPA waivers allow California—and states that chose to align with it—to curb the vehicle pollution that is worsening its already poor air quality. 

“California decided that transitioning to cleaner and zero-emission vehicles is the best way to address the unique burdens it faces. If other states don’t like California’s approach, they don’t need to follow it. But Congress shouldn’t intervene and try to block state leaders from protecting their residents from dangerous pollution.”

Background

Recognizing the state’s unique air quality challenges, Congress specifically gave California the right to set stronger tailpipe emissions standards when it passed the Clean Air Act more than five decades ago. 

Blocking these measures would have grave consequences for consumers, public health, and the economy: 

• It would cost consumers more than $89 billion in additional fuel costs through 2040—more than $55 billion in net costs.
• Preventing enforcement of these rules would allow more than 1.5 million metric tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides, 17,700 metric tons of fine particles, and 1.6 billion metric tons of carbon emissions to be spewed into the air. 

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC Indi\a Pvt. Ltd).