Cuomo Criticizes Proposed Rollback of EPA Emissions Standards

WASHINGTON – Federal environmental regulators announced on Monday they will ease emissions standards for cars and trucks, saying that a timeline put in place by President Barack Obama was not appropriate and set standards “too high.”

The Environmental Protection Agency said it completed a review that will affect vehicles for model years 2022-2025, but it did not provide details on new standards, which it said would be forthcoming.

The EPA, in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will work to come up with new standards.

Automakers applauded Monday’s decision, arguing the current requirements would have cost the industry billions of dollars and raised vehicle prices due to the cost of developing the necessary technology.

Environmentalists, meanwhile, warned the proposed rollbacks will make U.S. cars more expensive to fill up.

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo

Some states, including California and New York, are also critical of the move. Gov. Cuomo said on Monday that the Trump administration is turning its back on our environment and putting our economy, our children and our planet at risk.

“The proposal to roll back air pollution and fuel economy standards is another shameless giveaway to the dying fossil fuel industry at the expense of our economy and the health of the American people,” Cuomo said. “This plan would upend auto industry regulation in this country, decrease consumer satisfaction with worse gas mileage, jeopardize the rapidly growing clean energy economy and degrade the quality of our air.”

 Cuomo added that if the federal government moves forward with this backward plan, New York will work with California and other states to fight back.

“New York is proud to be leading the way in the fight to reduce emissions, including through our bold commitment to electric vehicles and our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030. If the federal government moves forward with this backward plan, we will work with California and other states to preserve our stringent emission standards – ensuring we continue to protect the health of our residents while attracting the clean energy jobs of tomorrow.”