The EPA will announce Wednesday the withdrawal of California's waiver

EPA will officially announce Wednesday the revocation of the Obama era waiver allowing California to enforce stricter greenhouse gas emission standards on new cars and light trucks than the federal government would have indicated, according to a source aware of the planned announcement.

POLITICO announced for the first time this month that the Trump administration plans to separate and advance the part of its California-based car emission reduction process by establishing new, more technical national rules setting new national standards. for vehicles of the 2021 model year and beyond.

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The EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The agency released remarks prepared by administrator Andrew Wheeler, delivered today at a rally at the National Automobile Dealers Association during which he promised to take action "in the very near future".

"We will take joint action with the Department of Transport to clarify the inappropriate and inappropriate scope and use of the Clean Air Act waiver," said Wheeler. prepared remarks.

The Clean Air Act gives California the special power to set stricter pollution standards than the federal level, but only if the EPA grants a waiver, as did the Obama administration. The state has pledged to fight against any attempt to revoke its waiver and argues that the law does not allow the EPA to withdraw waivers once issued.

Thirteen other states and the District of Columbia, accounting for 36 percent of US auto sales, said they would follow California standards, but the EPA's planned withdrawal of the exemption would bring those states back to federal standards.

The EPA planned deployment on Wednesday was announced for the first time by Bloomberg.