Climate Mayors Statement on President Trump’s Revocation of California Clean Air Act Waiver

September 18, 2019 – Today, a spokesperson from Climate Mayors issued the following statement around the Trump administration’s revocation of California’s waiver under the Clean Air Act: “President Trump’s announcement today that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will rescind California’s authority to regulate pollution from automobiles runs in direct opposition to the EPA’s stated mission and the federal Clean Air Act (CAA), and will be harmful to our residents’ physical and financial health – impacts that we simply cannot afford in the face of a growing climate crisis. We need carmakers to harness their innovation and accelerate the nation’s progress toward a new, clean era of transportation. Instead, today’s decision will stall the progress we’ve already made in cleaning up our transportation sector, the highest-polluting sector in the United States. Under the CAA, California has the authority to adopt stronger pollution standards than those set by the federal government. Other states have not been granted similar authority but can opt to follow California’s motor vehicle emission regulations. Maintaining state authority to protect local communities from pollution has strong support from Climate Mayors across the country who want to take meaningful and ambitious action toward fighting climate change. The administration’s ironic assault on states’ rights will directly harm the more than 118 million people living in 14 states and the District of Columbia that have adopted more stringent vehicle pollution standards in order to protect the health of their communities. But whether or not the White House is on board, this much is clear: the automotive industry is already producing cleaner and, increasingly, more zero-emissions vehicles – not just because they’re good for the environment, but also because of the economic and public health benefits that follow. That’s why companies such as Honda, Ford, Volkswagen, and BMW have already expressed their commitment to maintaining strong emissions standards established in 2012 and currently under threat by the Trump administration. And it’s also why Climate Mayors across the country are making strides in deploying clean vehicles in their cities. The Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative is bringing cities to the table and deploying electric vehicles to streets from coast to coast – and no decision from the White House will stop our progress. As Climate Mayors representing over 71 million Americans in over 430 cities across the United States, we are committed to leading on climate action, no matter who occupies the Oval Office. We will continue our efforts to hasten the transition to more efficient and zero-emissions vehicles because we know it’s what’s best for our residents, our economy, and our environment.”