EPA’s Rollback of Clean Car Standards Under Investigation

Contact

Larisa Manescu, larisa.manescu@sierraclub.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced its plans to evaluate the EPA’s rollback - finalized in March - of the clean car standards, which are the corporate average fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards for light duty vehicles (or CAFE).

Today’s evaluation was instigated by a letter sent in May by Senator Tom Carper and Representative Frank Pallone that requested an investigation about potential irregularities surrounding the EPA’s role in the development and promulgation of the rollback, which contradicted EPA’s own staff experts.

In response to the investigation, Sierra Club Senior Attorney Alejandra Núñez released the following statement:

“The rollback of the clean car standards has been a complete disaster from the moment the Trump Administration stepped into office and announced its intentions to obliterate one of America’s strongest policies to fight the climate crisis.

“Everyone has known this was a slapdash process, and we’re glad to see the Inspector General investigating this rollback.”

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, 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.