Nov 15, 2019 - Energy & Climate

California, other states sue EPA for right to set higher emissions standards

Fadel Allassan

Bumper to bumper traffic. — Photo: George Rose/Getty Images

Twenty-three states joined California in suing the Environmental Protection Agency for stripping away an Obama-era waiver that allows the state to set strict emissions standards on cars and trucks, the California's attorney general's office announced Friday.

The big picture: This is the latest in a high-stakes battle between California and the Trump administration over the fuel-efficiency of cars in America, says Axios' Amy Harder. Automakers — and drivers — are caught in the middle and likely stuck with significant uncertainty for years as these legal and regulatory fights wear on.

One of the standards at the center of the latest lawsuit requires the sale of an increasing number of electric or other zero-emission vehicles.
Another addresses standards for tailpipe emissions. California has stricter qualifications than the EPA requires nationally.

Between the lines, via Axios Amy Harder: If you're losing track of all the lawsuits, you're probably not alone. This lawsuit is separate from another suit filed in September, also by California and a similar set of states,

That suit was filed against the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration"to undo a parallel determination that federal law bars California from setting tailpipe emission standards," Reuters writes.

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California, other states sue EPA for right to set higher emissions standards

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