Republican attorneys general from 25 states on Thursday sought to block rules aimed at reducing global warming emissions from cars and light trucks and promoting electric vehicle production, saying the Environmental Protection Agency exceeded its legal authority. A lawsuit was filed against the Protection Agency.
The lawsuit, which challenges the passenger car regulations concluded by President Biden’s administration on March 20, was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit by the attorneys general of states, primarily Kentucky and West Virginia.
EPA’s rules will reduce tailpipe emissions for all passenger cars and light trucks by nearly 50% by 2032 compared to 2026 levels, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 7.2 billion tons by 2055. That’s what I’m aiming for.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said the rule would harm the U.S. economy, threaten jobs and increase prices while weakening the U.S. power grid. Coleman also said there is little consumer interest in electric vehicles in the state.
Republican state officials said the rule amounts to the administration’s attempt to unfairly transform the U.S. passenger car market through strict rules that make it difficult for manufacturers to transition to electric vehicles.
“The Biden administration is willing to sacrifice the American auto industry and its workers for radical environmental policies. We will not support that,” Coleman said.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrissey said the rule is “legally flawed and impractical to say the least.”
EPA declined to comment.
The regulation is one of the most important environmental regulations enacted under the Biden administration, which has made tackling climate change a key pillar of its presidency. The EPA projects that 35% to 56% of new cars sold between 2030 and 2032 will be electric vehicles under the rule, a range that will continue as automakers pursue a variety of pollution-reducing technologies. It reflects the flexibility that EPA says is needed.
During a public comment period before the rule was finalized, Republican state attorneys general argued that the rule far exceeded the EPA’s authority under a landmark pollution control law called the Clean Air Act and that it “This amounts to an attempt at reorganization from the top down.” automotive industry. ”
After resistance from autoworkers and the auto industry, the final version of the regulations was scaled back from previous proposals to give automakers more flexibility in meeting their emissions reduction goals. The EPA has given automakers more latitude to meet emissions standards for gas-electric hybrid vehicles, but many environmentalists have opposed the move as a half-hearted measure that will delay the transition to electric vehicles.
The EPA said the final rule would reduce emissions by 49% by 2032 compared to 2026 levels, compared with a 56% reduction under the previous plan. EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the rule “absolutely does not mandate” manufacturers to adopt electric vehicles.
Other states participating in the lawsuit include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Includes the south. Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
Separately, the EPA announced on March 29 that it was finalizing stricter tailpipe emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles such as semi-trucks and buses, but those regulations were not part of the lawsuit. .
The lawsuit is the latest example of Republican attorneys general going to court to challenge various aspects of the Biden administration’s climate change policies.
Republican-led states challenged Securities and Exchange Commission’s Corporate Environmental Disclosure Rule, Department of Energy’s Suspension of Approval of New Liquefied Natural Gas Export Facilities, and EPA Regulations Strengthening standards Especially because of air pollution.
