White House Pursues Hard Line on Vehicle Emission Strategy

The Trump administration won’t confer with California before drafting a plan to roll back emission regulations scheduled for 2022-2025, sources tell The Wall Street Journal.

California was granted power under the Clean Air Act of 1970 to set its own emission standards. The state has said it intends to follow the original 2022-2025 rules regardless of what federal regulators do. The District of Columbia and a dozen states are expected to follow California’s lead.

Last Friday carmakers urged the White House to avoid the specter of a U.S. market split by two sets of pollution rules. But the Journal’s sources say the administration wasn’t swayed by carmakers’ pleas for compromise.

The sources say the White House intends to finalize its proposal over the next few weeks with no new input from California. The state has signaled receptivity to giving carmakers more flexibility in how they meet the original standards. But it also has vowed a court battle if the administration freezes the standards at 2020 levels instead.

The Alliance of Automotive Manufacturers asserts there is no reason why the Trump administration “can’t find common ground with California” and arrive at a compromise that delivers “a win for everyone.”