White House ends discussions with California on fuel standards



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This time, the dispute is about California's ability to set its own stricter automatic issuance standards than the Trump administration's proposal. The Trump administration should slow down or freeze the Obama administration's annual increases scheduled each year until 2025.

Automakers marvel at the concept of two different automotive markets in the United States resulting from two different standards: one, defined by California, also applies to 13 other states that follow his example and the federal standard that applies elsewhere.

California and the 13 states that follow it represent 40% of the US car market, according to Dan Becker, whose Safe Climate Campaign supports the position of California.

California regulators want to retain the power they have had for decades to set pollution standards under the Clean Air Act of 1970 and their environmental allies fear a low or non-existent standard set by the Trump government.

In a statement, the White House said: "Despite all the efforts of the administration to find a common-sense solution, it is time to acknowledge that CARB has not proposed a productive alternative since the proposal of the SAFE rule on vehicles.As a result, the administration is finalizing a rule later this year in order to promote safer, cleaner and more affordable vehicles. "

California Air Resources Board spokesman Stanley Young said the two sides had not met since December 19 and said the meetings had been "entirely insubstantial," and the talks did not go unnoticed. never reached the level that we could call "negotiations".

"The administration has stopped communications before Christmas and has never responded to the suggested areas of compromise – nor offered a compromise proposal," Young said in a statement. "We concluded at that time that they were never serious about trading, and their public comments on California since seem to underscore it."

The Environmental Protection Agency has not responded to a request for comment and the Department of Transport, which also plays a role in standards, has referred questions to the White House.

California has already committed more than three dozen lawsuits against the Trump administration, most recently following the president 's emergency declaration. Earlier this week, the administration withdrew nearly $ 1 billion of funds for a high-speed rail system in California and said it hoped to recover $ 2.5 billion of funds for the canceled project.

Last May, California sued the Trump administration, claiming it had erroneously decided to revise the emission standards.

Experts monitoring the process expect the state to pose a second challenge once the final rules are published.

They expect the Trump administration to finalize this spring a new car emission plan applicable to the 2022 to 2025 model years.

The 2012 Obama administration plan for the 2017 to 2025 model years provided for an automatic increase in standards each year. It also required a mid-term review, which the administration had completed before the 2016 elections. It decided not to change the plan.

Shortly after the entry into office of the Trump administration, Auto Alliance – an industry group of vehicle manufacturers – asked the Trump administration to reconsider its decision. He did and announced that he would develop a new plan.

Becker expects the document to formally cancel California's authority.

"The administration seems unyielding to enforce these emissions regulations," he said about Obama's era standards.

Senator Tom Carper, the Democratic's top Democratic environment committee, urged the EPA to negotiate in good faith because "a litigation is not the best option here."

"It's wasting time, money, creating uncertainty for US builders and hurting the environment," he said in a statement. "I encourage automakers to come out quickly, loudly and clearly against this decision, as every manufacturer has previously urged the administration not to follow this wrong, legally questionable and irresponsible way."

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