California and other state AGs ask Trump EPA to abandon plan to kill greenhouse gas regulations

On Tuesday, attorneys general from California as well as several other U.S. States led by Democrats urged the Trump administration to abandon their plan to rescind a long-standing ruling that greenhouse gas emission endanger the health of humans. This would eliminate the legal basis for all U.S. regulations on greenhouse gases.

The Environmental Protection Agency's decision to repeal the findings would mean that current pollution limits for greenhouse gases from vehicles, power plants and smokestacks will be eliminated. This would hinder future U.S. efforts in combating global warming.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that the proposal was unlawful. "It relies on a draft report, not vetted and scientifically unsound from the Department of Energy in order to try to override abundant and growing evidence supporting its endangerment findings and motor vehicle GHG emission standards for more than 15 years."

The Trump administration has been working on several fronts to eliminate rules that require automakers to produce more fuel-efficient and electric vehicles. This week, it will hold virtual hearings to receive public feedback on its proposal.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said that repealing the "endangerment" finding would save Americans money, and undo two decades of regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane from automobiles, power plants, oil extraction and other sources.

After removing the scientific findings that justified these standards, the EPA intends to repeal all greenhouse-gas emission standards for vehicles and engines, including light-duty, heavy-duty and medium-duty.

Arizona Attorney General Chris Mayes stated that "the EPA must consider the costs of climate change using rigorous peer-reviewed methodologies." The EPA proposes to bury its face in the sand, and ignore the mounting cost of climate change.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said the EPA proposal was deeply flawed, and that it sought to eliminate "all motor vehicles greenhouse gas emissions standards in one fall".

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel stated that the EPA proposal suggested "that we allow the federal governments to ignore their own scientific determinations, and abdicate the legal duty to act. This simply cannot be tolerated." Climate change and pollutants are a threat to every state. (Reporting and editing by David Shepardson)

(source: Reuters)