The US Department of Transportation secretary (DOT) Elaine Chao and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt announced last night, as expected, they would revisit the Obama administration’s last minute rule that finalised standards to increase fuel economy to the equivalent of 54.5mpg for cars and light-duty trucks by model year 2025.
“Today’s decision by the EPA is a win for the American economy,” said Chao in a statement. “The DOT will re-open the mid-term evaluation process and work with the EPA to complete the review in a transparent, data-driven manner.”The midterm evaluation process was established as a part of the 2012 final greenhouse gas emissions standards for model years 2017-2025.
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This requires the EPA to determine by 1 April, 2018, whether the 2022-2025 standards established are appropriate. The agency said the latest action “will ensure that deadline is met”.
If the agency believes that the final determination issued by the previous administration is not realistic, it would submit a new proposal for public comment.
“These standards are costly for automakers and the American people,” said Pruitt. “We will work with our partners at DOT to take a fresh look to determine if this approach is realistic. This thorough review will help ensure that this national programme is?good for consumers and good for the environment.”
