The Trump administration officially ended negotiations with California over a proposed rollback of Obama-era fuel economy regulations. The White House issued a joint statement…
The Trump administration officially ended negotiations with California over a proposed rollback of Obama-era fuel economy regulations.
The White House issued a joint statement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) Thursday:
The announcement comes as tensions flare between the White House and California over border wall and high-speed rail funding. The Daily Caller News Foundation first reported the administration’s plan to end talks.
The impasse over fuel economy regulations will likely result in EPA revoking California’s ability to set its own tailpipe standards for carbon dioxide emissions.
Talks between EPA and DOT officials the California Air Resources Board (CARB) broke down and no compromise was made, prompting the White House to push ahead with its deregulatory agenda without a deal with the Golden State.
The Trump administration proposed freezing Obama-era fuel economy standards in August 2018, sparking legal action from California and environmental groups. That proposal also laid the groundwork for EPA to revoke California’s ability to set its own auto efficiency standards.
Former EPA official Mandy Gunasekara, who helped craft the proposal, said California never seemed to have any intention of hashing out a compromise with the Trump administration.
