President Trump retracts EPA’s landmark climate change findings
President Trump’s decision to rescind the endangered status designation removes the legal basis for regulations targeting air pollution caused by greenhouse gases.
- Environmental groups say they have filed a lawsuit over the Trump administration’s plan to roll back federal emissions regulations.
- The administration claims that lowering fuel economy standards will significantly lower car prices for consumers.
- Environmental groups say the measure is illegal and will increase fuel costs for drivers over the life of their vehicles.
President Donald Trump’s administration is being sued over his plan to “dramatically lower auto prices” by lowering federal emissions and fuel economy standards.
The Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and other environmental groups announced they have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, challenging the agency’s recent decision to finalize new rules reversing Obama-era scientific findings that greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles and other sources pose a threat to public health. The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday, February 18, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
EPA did not respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
The EPA’s 2009 findings, known as the Endangerment Findings, provided the legal basis for some of the federal government’s most ambitious efforts to reduce global-warming vehicle emissions, including rules requiring automakers to average at least 50 miles per gallon for all vehicles.
While the Trump administration has promised that rolling back tough fuel economy regulations will allow automakers to make cheaper cars, environmental groups suing the Environmental Protection Agency argued that the agency’s removal of endangerment certifications was “unlawful” and that the decision to repeal federal regulations on auto emissions would cost drivers $6,000 over the life of their cars.
“EPA’s own analysis finds that repealing vehicle standards would raise gasoline prices and force Americans to spend more on fuel, a net negative for the economy,” the environmental group said.
What does that mean for car buyers?
Federal fuel economy regulations that the Trump administration is trying to repeal require automakers to produce cars that average more than 50 miles per gallon by 2031.
The White House says eliminating the rule would significantly lower sticker prices for most car buyers.
“This action will reduce regulatory costs by more than $1.3 trillion and lead to significant declines in auto prices,” President Trump said at a White House event on February 12 announcing the measure. “You can get a better car, you can get a car that starts easier, you can get a car that works better for less money.”
Environmentalists vehemently disagreed, arguing that the Trump administration’s ruling invalidating the 2009 endangerment findings was based on junk science and would have no effect on car prices. But they said it would further deteriorate the U.S. environment.
“This is more than just a setback,” Brian Link, senior attorney at the Center for Environmental Law and Policy, said in a statement. “EPA is attempting to completely deny its legal authority to regulate greenhouse gases from automobiles.”
What happened to car prices the last time President Trump lowered federal fuel regulations?
In March 2017, President Trump first announced plans to roll back strict fuel efficiency rules enacted under former President Barack Obama. The rule would require automakers to achieve an average of 54.5 miles per gallon across all vehicles by 2025. At the time President Trump made his announcement, the average price of a new car was $34,342, Kelley Blue Book reports.
President Trump’s first reversal would freeze federal fuel efficiency standards at about 39 miles per gallon from 2021 through 2026 model years. The changes to mileage regulations coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the prices of cars and many other products to rise significantly. The average price of a new car in January was $49,191, according to Kelley Blue Book.
When former President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, he almost immediately moved to reinstate strict Obama-era fuel efficiency standards. Biden ultimately settled on the plan he announced in August 2021. The plan would require automakers to achieve average vehicle mileage of about 50 miles per gallon by 2031. The average price of a new car at the time was $43,355.
President Trump said his new proposal would eliminate all federal regulations on vehicle emissions.
“Historically, changes in fuel economy and emissions regulations have not translated into substantial sticker price relief for consumers,” Stephanie Valdez Streety, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive, said in a statement provided to USA TODAY.
“New car prices have increased by about 3% a year on average, and regulatory changes have not significantly changed that long-term trend,” he said.
