September 7, 2017: Today, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Center for Biological Diversity, filed a petition for review of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) July 12 decision to unlawfully delay an Obama Administration rule that increased penalties for automakers that don’t meet the fuel economy standards. Last year, to account for inflation, the Obama Administration increased the penalty rate from $5.50 to $14 per tenth of a mile per gallon, as required by Congress under the Inflation Adjustment Act.
In response, Sierra Club Attorney Alejandra Núñez released the following statement:
"By suspending higher fines that automakers must pay for cheating on fuel economy standards, Donald Trump is basically telling deceiving automakers ‘you don’t have to pay the pricey ticket, you can go to traffic school.’
"Without strict penalties, automakers will continue breaking the law at the expense of consumer savings, and Americans’ health and safety. The Trump administration cannot give automakers a green light to cheat on fuel economy standards, we’re filing this suit to pump the brakes.”
Read the full press release here.