Red and blue states tussle over EPA tailpipe standards delay
Attorneys general from both Republican and Democratic-led states called on the EPA earlier this week to either scrap or advance its proposal to push back vehicle tailpipe emissions standards. The EPA in May proposed to delay for two years the start date of a Biden-era rule that aimed to reduce emissions from vehicles, saying the standards were unrealistic and would drive up costs.
A July 6 letter led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) told the Environmental Protection Agency the Biden administration already gave automakers plenty of lead time before the standards kicked in. Bonta and attorneys general representing 18 other states—along with the District of Columbia, New York City, Chicago, Denver, and San Francisco—also said the EPA hasn’t provided evidence to support its claim that complying with the Tier 4 standards is infeasible.