Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted California’s request for a waiver under the Clean Air Act to enforce its own strict vehicle emissions standards through the state’s Advanced Clean Cars II program.
The program is a critical component of the state’s efforts to reduce planet-warming and health-harming emissions from passenger vehicles in California. It is projected to reduce CO2 emissions by 395.1 million metric tons from 2026 to 2040, to result in $12.94 billion in public health benefits, and save consumers $92 billion by 2040. Eleven other states and Washington, D.C., have followed California’s lead and adopted the standard themselves, leading to even greater climate, public health, and economic benefits around the country and covering one-third of the new vehicle market.
In response, Shannon Baker-Branstetter, senior director of Domestic Climate and Energy Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Thanks to the Clean Air Act, air quality has greatly improved across the country over the past several decades. However, air pollution still harms the health of millions of Americans, and pollution from personal vehicles is a major contributor to asthma attacks and carbon emissions in many parts of the country. More than a dozen states take a leadership role in protecting the health of their residents through stronger emissions standards for vehicles, and the EPA’s action today continues 50 years of tradition of the Clean Air Act supporting states’ leadership in improving air quality and public health.
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