"The Transportation Department announced Thursday it was withdrawing part of a Trump-era rule that blocked states from setting their own tough car pollution standards, setting the stage for a return of broader power to California to fight climate change.
The newly proposed rule change, which will be subject to a 30-day comment period, would restore California’s authority to set fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and SUVs, and to require car companies to sell more electric vehicles.
The agency’s action Thursday is the precursor to the Biden administration’s plan to return even greater authority to California in the form of a legal waiver granted by the Obama administration under the 1970 Clean Air Act. The waiver had allowed the state to set stricter auto emission and fuel efficiency rules than the federal government and had been granted under every presidential administration except George W. Bush. That power was widely considered one of the state’s most effective weapons in the fight against climate change and air pollution."
Anna M. Phillips reports for the Los Angeles Times April 22, 2021.
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