Policy changes reduces the fuel efficiency and emissions standards for vehicles manufactured between 2022 and 2025. Pruitt does not outline any new standards, saying they were still pending.
Current regulations of greenhouse gas emissions, which soon took effect before the President trump took office, to require automakers approximately twice the fuel economy to over 50 miles per gallon. The EPA says that the standard will be replaced with one developed jointly with the National Agency for road safety.
“It is right for us to be here to acknowledge that what was done in 2011 and 2012, as we estimate now, it is not appropriate to go forward, and we’re going to get it right,” said Pruitt.
The Agency also plans to revise the waiver, which allows California to set more stringent standards than the Federal level.
The automotive industry applauded the rollback, arguing that the standards of Obama-era cost is expensive. But Democrats were quick to criticize the decision.
“The decision of the administrator EPA Pruitt start rolling back the fuel economy standards is a victory for big oil and large corporations at the expense of American consumers and clean air for our children,” said Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said. “As usual, the administration, with big, powerful special interests over the interests of the average American family, who will pay for low miles per gallon and dirtier air.”
To the attorney General of the state of California and new York threatened a lawsuit, and the Chairman of the California air resources Board defined the standards in California, warned that the decision will lead to lower air quality and undermine the automakers “regulatory certainty.”
The EPA announcement comes as Pruitt faces a number of ethical issues. The white house has begun an official investigation into the life situation of Pruitt when he first moved to Washington, D.C., last year. As first reported last week by ABC news, Pruitt rented a single bedroom in a Capitol hill townhouse is partly owned by Vicky HART, wife energy lobbyist J. Steven HART.
The lease allowed Pruitt to pay $50 per night for use of the Condo for the night he stayed there. According to Bloomberg, he paid more than 6000$.
On Tuesday, the EPA, Pruitt ignored reporters ‘ questions about whether he still retains the confidence of trump. The President talked with Pruitt to the phone Monday night and the White house chief of staff John Kelly called Pruitt this morning, press Secretary of the White house Sarah Sanders said.
Trump EPA moving to unwind and Obama-era automobile fuel efficiency, emissions standards
White house, Dems seek answers on EPA lease the Internet in Pruitt
A press-Secretary EPK Jahan Wilcox stated that the agreement was not a gift, and rent “in accordance with Federal rules of ethics”. But Democrats and groups on the ethics expressed concern about the agreement. Pruitt has already come under fire after the EPA spent more than $118,000 for their flights, many of them in first class.
“I don’t know how you survive this one,” the former Governor of new Jersey and news ABCs Author Chris Christie said the chief anchor of ABC news George Stephanopoulos on “this week” on Sunday.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
