James Sues Trump Admin for Illegal Auto Emission Rollback

New York – New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for their illegal attempt to dismantle clean vehicle standards, according to sources from the NY AG.

The lawsuit targets the EPA’s move to rescind three critical Clean Air Act waivers that New York relies on for its clean vehicle programs. The attorneys general argue that the administration is misusing the Congressional Review Act to revoke these EPA waivers previously granted to California, which New York has adopted under federal law.

“Every New Yorker deserves to breathe clean air and live in a healthy environment,” said Attorney General James. “This administration is using a sneaky backdoor to gut clean air standards that have been in place for decades, threatening our ability to fight pollution and protect families from toxic emissions.”

The lawsuit details the Clean Air Act of 1963, which gave California the right to set its own stricter emission standards with EPA approval. Once granted to California, New York can adopt these standards without needing a separate waiver.

Attorney General James points out that in recent years, the EPA has granted three waivers crucial for New York’s climate goals: Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, Advanced Clean Trucks regulations, and Omnibus regulations on heavy-duty truck emissions. The administration attempted to reclassify these waivers as “rules,” subjecting them to the CRA process, a move that both the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the Senate Parliamentarian have confirmed is unlawful.

Despite the opposition, Congress passed resolutions disapproving the waivers, and President signed them into law last month. Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the EPA’s decision to transmit the California and New York waivers for disapproval under the CRA is unprecedented and illegal, emphasizing that waiver decisions are not subject to the CRA.

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