EPA moves to repeal US vehicle emission standards by revoking greenhouse gas rules

TimesLIVE

28-07-2025

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to repeal all greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for light-duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles and engines in the coming days after it removes the scientific finding that justified those rules, according to a summary of the proposal.
In a draft of a summary of the forthcoming proposal, seen by Reuters, the agency is expected to say that the Clean Air Act does not authorise the EPA to impose emission standards to address global climate change concerns and will rescind the finding that GHG emissions from new motor vehicles and engines endanger public health or welfare.
It is also expected to justify rescinding the endangerment finding by casting doubt on the scientific record used to make the finding.
'We further propose, in the alternative, to rescind the Administrator's findings because the EPA unreasonably analysed the scientific record and because developments cast significant doubt on the reliability of the findings,' the summary says.
The US Supreme Court, in its landmark Massachusetts vs EPA case in 2007, said the EPA has authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and required the agency to make a scientific finding on whether they endanger public health.
In 2009, the EPA under former president Barack Obama issued a finding that emissions from new motor vehicles contribute to pollution and endanger public health and welfare. It was upheld in several legal challenges and underpinned subsequent greenhouse gas regulations.
The summary also says that one of its rationales for repealing the vehicle standards is that the required technology to reduce emissions would risk greater harms to public health and welfare.
Former president Joe Biden's administration said the standards would hike upfront vehicle prices but save consumers money in the long run after accounting for lower fuel costs.
The agency is likely to announce the proposal in the coming days, according to a source familiar with the matter who asked not to be named.
The EPA said it had sent its proposal to reconsider the endangerment finding to the White House for review on June 30. 'The proposal will be published for public notice and comment once it has completed inter-agency review and been signed by the Administrator,' the agency said.
The agency did not comment on the tailpipe rules.
The rescinding of all vehicle emission standards is the latest — and most extensive — attempt to put a quick end to EPA tailpipe rules that were forecast to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 49% by 2032 over 2026 levels.
Nearly 30% of US greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector, according to EPA data.
The EPA forecast that between 35% and 56% of all sales between 2030 and 2032 would be EVs to meet the requirements.
The Trump administration has taken a multipronged approach to dismantling rules designed to improve vehicle efficiency, reduce fuel use and boost electric vehicles, including ending the $7,500 (R133,175) new EV tax credit and $4,000 (R71,026) used EV tax credit on September 30, and has frozen billions of dollars in EV charging funding for states.
Under legislation signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month, carmakers face no fines for failures to meet fuel efficiency rules dating back to the 2022 model year.
Last year, Chrysler parent Stellantis paid $190.7m (R3,386,259,900) in civil penalties for failing to meet US fuel economy requirements for 2019 and 2020 after paying nearly $400m (R7,102,319,400) for penalties from 2016 through 2019. GM previously paid $128.2m (R2,276,293,560) in penalties for 2016 and 2017.
In June, Trump signed three congressional resolutions barring California's electric vehicle sales mandates and diesel engine rules. He approved a resolution to bar California's landmark plan to end the sale of combustion-only vehicles by 2035, which has been adopted by 11 other states and represents a third of the US car market. California has filed a suit to overturn the repeal.