The Trump Administration has taken steps to roll back Greenhouse
Gas (GHG) emissions standards applicable to most automobiles in the
United States. On April 2nd Environmental Protection
Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt announced plans to roll back an
Obama Administration determination that left the Midterm Evaluation
standards in place for the 2022-2025 GHG emission limits for
light-duty vehicles. The Midterm Evaluation standards, finalized in
2012, had imposed heightened requirements for fuel efficiency in
automobiles.
In addition to claiming that the Obama Administration's
decision was too rushed (it was published in January of 2017), EPA
determined that the GHG emissions standards imposed by the Midterm
Evaluation are too challenging for auto manufacturers, and result
in burdensome costs on low-income consumers. EPA also questioned
whether technology will advance far enough under the current
timeline to meet the standards currently set for 2022-2025, and
called
