May 29, 2019
California Air Resources Board Chairman Mary Nichols says the state would be forced to pursue “extreme” requirements to offset the uptick in pollution that would be unleashed if federal vehicle emission and fuel economy standards are weakened according to a May 16, 2019 Bloomberg report.
California — thanks to federal waivers dating back to the ‘60’s – has the strictest emissions standards for vehicles in the country. As long as they meet or exceed EPA standards, California, and other states, can also set their own standards. But other states can also opt to follow California’s motor vehicle emission regulations. Currently, 12 states and the District of Columbia have adopted California’s standards.
Now that status is jeopardized by proposed rules from the Trump administration that would scale back emissions standards.
“If we lose the state vehicle standards, we have to fill up the gap with other measures,” Nichols said at a May 16, 2019 forum on the issue. “We will be faced with dramatic alternatives in terms of tighter, stricter controls on everything else, including movement of vehicles and potentially looking at things like fees and taxes and bans on certain types of vehicles and products.”
Nichols did not explicitly outline possible changes at the May 16th event, which was held to discuss the consequences of the Trump proposals and potential California countermeasures. But in remarks prepared for the meeting, she raised the specter of tougher anti-pollution requirements on everything from fuel to the refineries producing it and “doubling down on our enforcement efforts on mobile and stationary sources.”
The move marks an escalation in the car standards clash between Washington and Sacramento that would increase uncertainty for automakers in their biggest U.S. market.
The fight has already caused uncertainty for the auto industry, threatening to undermine business plans heavily reliant on predictability. A prolonged court battle over mileage mandates could upend technology development and investment plans for the U.S., even as European countries press on with tougher requirements.
What this means to you
California Air Resources Board Chairman Mary Nichols says the state would be forced to pursue “extreme” requirements to offset the uptick in pollution that would be unleashed if federal vehicle emission and fuel economy standards are weakened. Nichols said it could result in California “doubling down on our enforcement efforts on mobile and stationary sources.”
MIRATECH can help
Contact MIRATECH for stationary engine emission control solutions in California.