America Needs Cleaner Cars

Environment America

“America should be putting cars that burn too much gasoline in the rear-view mirror. Unfortunately, EPA’s potential action may be a green light to keep making cars that dirty our air, endanger our health and threaten our children’s future,” Anna Aurilio, Legislative Director, Environment America.

WASHINGTON, DC – According to reports, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to begin rolling back state and federal clean car standards. The reports state that the administration intends to withdraw the final determination on EPA’s vehicle emission standards for 2022-2025.  In addition, there are reports that the administration also is expected to initiate the process to revoke the California waiver that allows California to charge ahead on stronger clean vehicle programs.

“Our cars and trucks are not nearly as clean as they should be, but they’re a lot cleaner than they used to be — more than 40% less polluting than they were 20 years ago. Yet instead of accelerating this progress, EPA Administrator Pruitt is considering slamming the brakes. America should be putting cars that burn too much gasoline in the rear-view mirror. Unfortunately, EPA’s potential action may be a green light to keep making cars that dirty our air, endanger our health and threaten our children’s future,” said Anna Aurilio, Environment America’s Legislative Director.

Transportation emissions are now the top contributor of global warming emissions in the United States. Environment America has released analyses showing how clean car standards are critical to supporting a transition to zero-carbon transportation. The federal and state clean cars standards protect our health, environment and pocketbooks:

1. Nationally, these standards are expected to dramatically reduce climate changing emissions by 6 billion metric tons of carbon pollution.
2. By 2030, the federal clean cars standards will reduce projected oil consumption by 2.4 million barrels of oil per day— more than the United States imports from the Middle East and Venezuela combined.  
3. This is expected to save consumers $1.7 trillion at the pump.

The federal and California clean car standards mean cleaner air and a safer environment. It is no surprise that 95 percent of Americans and over 1,000 health professionals across the country want automakers to keep improving fuel economy for cars and trucks, not roll them back.

After years of joint scientific and technical study by EPA, NHTSA and CARB, EPA found in the final determination that the standards could be strengthened. Our country has a viable path to zero-carbon transportation– thanks in no small part to federal and California standards.

“We are disappointed to see reports that Administrator Pruitt is considering action that comes at the cost of our families’ health, security and well-being. Now, more than ever, we must charge ahead towards zero-carbon transportation, not put our most successful policies in reverse.” Aurilio concluded.

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Environment America is the national federation of statewide, citizen-based advocacy organizations working for a cleaner, greener, healthier future.