Health impacts: Proposed rollback would gut lifesaving, widely popular cleaner cars program

In response to a proposal from the EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to weaken the 2021-2026 vehicle emissions and mileage requirements and withdraw the waiver that permits California to set more protective cleaner cars standards, the American Lung Association, Allergy & Asthma Network, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Public Health Association, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Center for Climate Change and Health, Children’s Environmental Health Network, Health Care Without Harm, National Association of County and City Health Officials and National Environmental Health Association issued the following statement:

“EPA conducted a substantial review and public comment period in 2016 and found that the 2022-2025 vehicle emissions requirements were appropriate and that auto manufacturers can meet them. A recent American Lung Association poll showed that nearly seven in 10 voters want the Administration to leave current vehicle standards in place.

“Today’s announcement reaches beyond efforts to weaken cleaner cars standards at the federal level—it also threatens states’ right to limit dangerous vehicle pollution and take more aggressive steps to protect their residents.This action hampers not only California’s ability to protect the health of its citizens, but also that of a dozen other states that have driven nationwide progress in reducing tailpipe pollution, including Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

“Our organizations will fully participate in the rulemaking process and will urge the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration not to weaken fair and safe vehicle pollution limits that have proven successful in reducing pollution in the air we breathe.”