WASHINGTON – Congressman Paul D. Tonko, the top Democrat on the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, issued the following statement in response to news that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt has called for emissions standards for Model Year 2022-2025 light-duty vehicles to be revised because the previous rule set standards that are “too high,” upending the previous determination that was backed by a robust and technical record: 

“Fuel emissions standards help millions of Americans save money at the pump and go farther with every gallon, every day,” said Rep. Tonko. “These standards also help reduce carbon pollution and other harmful emissions going into our air and environment. With EPA’s updated standards, car buyers were expected to save some $1,650 over the life of each vehicle and reduce overall oil consumption by 50 billion gallons. Unfortunately, with no evidence or any real explanation, the EPA Administrator has decided these standards are no longer appropriate, turning this decisive step forward for consumers and the automotive industry into an expensive and time-wasting bureaucratic mess. I intend to continue pressing for strong consumer and environmental standards as EPA moves forward with this wasteful and disruptive repeat of the rulemaking process.”

Tonko added, “A few industry lobbyists may be celebrating in Administrator Pruitt’s apartment today, but with middle class wages flatlining and 17 of the last 18 years being the warmest on record, today’s consumers and America’s future generations will pay a steep price for this decision.”

Background

• Light-duty vehicles accounted for 59.9% of U.S. transportation emissions and approximately 16.5% of total U.S. emissions in 2015.
• EPA’s new emissions standard was projected to save consumers nearly $92 billion in fuel costs, reduce emissions by more than 230 million metric tons by 2050 and nearly 540 million metric tons over the lifetime of Model Year 2022-2025 vehicles.
• POLL: Nearly 7 in 10 voters want to leave the standards in place, 65 percent of voters are broadly favorable toward the Clean Air Act, and 61 percent toward EPA's efforts to enforce stricter limits on air pollution.

• EPA staff worked for more than a year to review these achievable vehicle standards, consulting in detail with automakers and experts and reviewing more than 300,000 total public comments.
  • EPA built an extensive public record on the appropriateness of greenhouse gas standards for Model Year 2022-2025 light-duty vehicles.
  • Along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB), EPA issued the July 2016 Draft Technical Assessment Report (TAR) and sought public comment. More than 200,000 comments were filed.
  • EPA also sought public comment on the Proposed Determination that the greenhouse gas standards for Model Year 2022-2025 vehicles remain appropriate. More than 100,000 comments were filed.

###