California is being sued by the U.S. Department of Justice to stop what it claims are illegal heavy-duty truck pollution requirements.
Even though President Donald Trump’s legislative resolutions in June declared the Environmental Protection Agency’s preemption waivers for the state’s two truck emissions standards to be invalid, the California Air Resources Board is still enforcing strict pollution rules for trucks.
In light of this, the Department of Justice filed a complaint against the California Air Resources Board on Wednesday in the Northern District of Illinois and on Thursday in the Eastern District of California.
The two courts received the complaints along with applications to intervene and join earlier plaintiffs in their lawsuit against California.
According to the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice, the California Air Resources Board is not allowed to enforce rules issued under the EPA’s waivers because of the Clean Air Act. The reason for this is that states are prohibited by the Clean Air Act from implementing car emissions rules unless the EPA gets the state a preemption waiver.
Additionally, the division stated that Trump’s June decision was a component of his pledge to eliminate the mandate for electric vehicles, level the regulatory playing field, and encourage customer choice in automobiles.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division stated in a news release Friday that this illegal activity aims to subvert federal law, regardless of what California chooses to call it—an agreement, contract, partnership, or mandate. The Clean Air Act waivers that served as the foundation for California’s actions have been declared void by President Donald Trump and Congress. The California Air Resources Board has to stop imposing illegal requirements and respect the democratic process.
By using the Clean Truck Partnership to enforce the emission limits, the California Air Resources Board is attempting to circumvent its ban.
Four truck manufacturers—Daimler Truck North America, Paccar Inc., International Motors, and Volvo Group North America—filed the complaint in the Eastern District of California.
In a press release, International Motors statedInternational Motors’ capacity to manufacture and deliver automobiles to its clients is being hampered by the contradictory requirements that original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, who sell parts to other businesses that require them to construct their products, must comply with on Monday.
International Motors stated, “We are requesting a prompt resolution from the courts so that we can continue to deliver the reliable solutions our customers rely on every day, including the S13 Integrated Powertrain, which offers a fuel economy-leading powertrain option capable of achieving low NOx.”
The American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce filed the complaint in the Northern District of Illinois.
The automotive sector, employees, and the millions of regular Americans who rely on automobiles and trucks with internal combustion engines on a daily basis are all at risk due to the higher cost and impracticability of electric vehicles. In a news release, American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce CEO Gentry Collins statedAugust 4. Governor Newsom cannot use the courts as a weapon to override the will of elected officials who are answerable to the people just because he disagrees with the outcome.
