Release the Beast, Lower the Standards

The Trump administration wants to loosen the emission vehicle standards written by the Obama administration, and hence to turn back the development of a new generation of vehicles.

The Trump Administration plans to reverse the decision made by the Obama administration in 2012 to double the average fleet-wide vehicle fuel efficiency to 50 mpg (miles per gallon) by 2025. The new proposal would result in a fleetwide average of 37 mpg by 2026, which means an additional use of 206 billion gallons of gasoline through 2050 versus the current standards.

Inappropriate

Adopted in 2012, the Obama rules included an evaluation due by April 2018 to determine if the rules were appropriate. In April the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared the rules not appropriate, hence opting to move the vehicle efficiency standards from model year 2022 to 2025. Additionally the US Transportation Department has drafted a proposal to freeze vehicle requirements at 2020 levels through 2026. 
In the same proposal the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) emphasises that states are not allowed to impose their own emission rules, citing a law of 1975. However, the state of California has its own emission standards, set up under the Clean Air Act. It is not sure if the latter will have to revoke its rules.

Car makers

Nevertheless, the Obama rules were negotiated with carmakers in 2011. President Trump claims he's changing them to revive the car sector that suffers from the strict regulations. However Senator Tom Carper considers the new proposal as ‘dramatically weaker than any automobile manufacturer has requested’.

The proposal to loosen the fuel efficiency standards by the EPA is not the first of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s decisions to weaken environmental rules in accordance with the business sector. He is known as a climate change sceptic and it was Pruitt who encouraged President Donald Trump to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.

‘United’ States

In the background of the review of the environmental legislation, it is remarkably how another climate change sceptic, Michael Catanzaro, left the White House administration. Since he was seen as the shepherd of environmental related negotiations, it might affect the pace and the substance of the formation of the new emissions and fuel-efficiency rules for light vehicles.

Working for the National Economic Council, Catanzaro had the special duty to retool Obama-era standards for improving fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In order to reach his goals, he mediated between the EPA, NHTSA, California and others, keeping all the parties at the table and minimising disagreements.

Future

However, the revision of the emission standard rules is to be continued, and Catanzaro will be replaced by Francis Brooks, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence. The new proposal is likely to be published this month. In the meantime it already provoked a lawsuit of a coalition of states.

Image: protesters at the People's Climate March in April 2017 highlight the need to take action on climate change in Washington DC.

Author: Fien Van den Steen