The Trump administration on Wednesday will revoke California's power to enforce more stringent limits on vehicle carbon pollution than the federal government, sparking a battle with the state that has led a revolt against the EPA's rollbacks of dozens of environmental regulations.
The long-expected move seeks to neuter California's resistance to President Donald Trump's proposed rewrite of the Obama-era rules that would have required automakers to accelerate the deployment of more fuel-efficient cars and light trucks, a high priority in the state that has led the nation in efforts to fight climate change.
But Janet McCabe, an Obama-era EPA air chief, told POLITICO that the withdrawal of California’s waiver would be “unfortunate” and would again set back policies critical for addressing greenhouse gases.
Climate change “is a ‘y’all come’ situation, where we need all the reasonable programs that we can get in place,” she said. “And this is one of the most reasonable and impactful across the board.”
Additional coverage by Buzzfeed News and Morning Consult
