New York State’s Attorney General has joined forces with top law enforcement officials from 12 other U.S. states in a bid to quash President Trump’s attempt to roll back vehicle efficiency rules.
On the back of pressure from automakers including General Motors, Ford and Toyota, Trump ordered a review of fuel efficiency standards from 2022-2025 previously put in place under the Obama administration. Many carmakers claimed that the strict rules were unachievable and not in line with current consumer demands.
In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state attorneys from the likes of Washington State, Oregon, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania said that they will pursue court action in an attempt to block any roll back.
“In light of the critical public health and environmental benefits the standards will deliver, if EPA acts to weaken or delay the current standards for model years 2022-25, like California, we intend to vigorously pursue appropriate legal remedies to block such action,” Reuters reports.
During the Obama administration, automakers agreed to dramatically improve fleet-wide fuel efficiency to 54.5 mpg by 2025. Initially, the standards for years 2022-2025 were to be reviewed by April 2018, but they were finalized just days before Obama left office.
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