Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt suggested that as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency he might not allow California to set its own stricter motor vehicle emissions standards.
California air quality regulators have relied on "a waiver of the preemption which prohibits states from enacting emission standards for new motor vehicles," permitted by the 1970 Federal Clean Air Air due to the state's poor air quality. As a result, California requires stricter emission standards than most other states. However, the waiver is not given unconditionally — it is up to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to to grant it.
In response to a question posed by California's new junior U.S. senator, Kamala Harris (D), about the continuation of the waiver, EPA administrator nominee Scott Pruitt stated, "I don’t know without going through the process to determine that," reports Evan Halper for the Los Angeles Times on Pruitt's confirmation hearing held Jan. 18. "One would not want to presume the outcome," added Pruitt.
If the Trump administration did succeed in eliminating California’s waiver authority, the loss would be a major setback for the state’s environmental policies.
As Pruitt sparred with committee Democrats, California’s chief regulator of air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, Mary Nichols, was testifying in Sacramento about the importance of the waiver to her agency, the California Air Resources Board.
Denial of the waiver would not just be a setback to California's air quality and carbon reduction efforts but also the 13 other states that have adopted California's Clean Car Standards.
This would not be the first time that the waiver became the subject of a partisan dispute. In 2007, the EPA under Republican President George W. Bush denied California's request for a waiver in order to set stricter greenhouse gas emissions standards for passenger vehicles. Two years later, the waiver was granted by the EPA under the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama.
FULL STORY: Trump's EPA pick casts doubt on California's power to regulate auto emissions
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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