Jonathon Berman, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- Yesterday, 17 states and Washington, DC filed a lawsuit against EPA and Scott Pruitt to block his first step to roll back the clean car standards. The petitioners represent 43-percent of the American auto market and 44 percent of the U.S. population.The petitioners include the majority of states that have adopted California’s stricter standards under Section 177 of the Clean Air Act, as well as non-Section 177 states, which are subject to EPA’s greenhouse gas standards.
In response, Sierra Club Chief Climate Counsel Joanne Spalding released the following statement:
“The Sierra Club applauds these 17 states and Washington, DC for challenging Scott Pruitt’s determination that the greenhouse gas standards for light-duty vehicles are not appropriate. These widely supported standards were established based on robust technical information and strong support from the American people, and are imperative to protecting public health and welfare. That is why both the states that have adopted California’s standards and those that do not have banded together to defend the standards and block Pruitt’s attempt to weaken them. Scott Pruitt can’t lie his way to undoing these life-saving standards simply because polluting industries asked him to -- they must and should remain in place.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.