WASHINGTON – This week, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt published the notice to officially rescind the greenhouse gas emissions standards for model year 2022 to 2025 for light-duty vehicles. The move rescinds Obama-era fuel efficiency standards that the agency now deems too stringent.

“The Administrator determines that the current standards are based on outdated information, and that more recent information suggests that the current standards may be too stringent. The Administrator thus concludes that the standards are not appropriate in light of the record before EPA and, therefore, should be revised as appropriate,” the official notice read.

The agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will begin a notice and comment rulemaking to revise the standards for model year 2022-2025 light-duty vehicles in the coming months. “Future changes to the standards will ensure that auto-manufacturers can make cars that consumers both want and can afford. They will also treat all advanced vehicle technologies the same, including the potential of natural gas vehicles and the role of high-octane fuels,” say the talking points, as reported in E&E News. “EPA will continue its close partnership with [NHTSA] to ensure there is adequate consideration of any potential impacts on automobile safety.”

Under a special waiver under the Clean Air Act, California has indicated it would still require vehicles sold within its borders to meet the now-defunct standards. The EPA is still considering the waiver filed by California, even as the Trump administration moves forward to drafting new standards.

Stay tuned to the NACS Daily for further news.