Washington AG files suit against EPA for rescinding vehicle emissions standards

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Washington is joining 16 other states in challenging U.S. Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt’s decision to rescind the final approval of standards for light-duty vehicle emissions and fuel economy.

The standards, put in place for car and light-duty truck models produced between 2022 and 2025, ensure that new vehicles have better fuel economy and lower greenhouse gas emissions. A month ago, Pruitt announced that standards that the agency had deemed viable in January 2017 were no longer achievable for the auto industry.

On April 13th, the EPA formally published its decision to restart the approval process.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson accuses the EPA of ignoring the needs of consumers, and its duty to protect the environment. Ferguson and the other states and the District of Columbia seek to keep the previous, thoroughly researched standards in place for model year 2022 to 2025 vehicles.

Ferguson alleges that Pruitt’s decision to reverse the January 2017 determination was arbitrary and capricious because he did not base his decision on any new information that would invalidate the evidence supporting the determination, making the decision unlawful. (Washington AG)

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