EPA Administrator Zeldin’s Delay of Vehicle Criteria Pollutant Standards Will Make Cars & Trucks Dirtier, Harm Our Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the EPA proposed a two-year delay of vehicle criteria pollutant standards that set limits on the amounts of non-greenhouse gas pollutants like nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter emitted by gas-fueled cars, pickups, and vans. These standards, established under the Clean Air Act, must be met over a vehicle’s life. The standards are designed to protect public health and welfare by reducing smog and improving overall air quality. They’re also readily achievable using commonsense, low-cost technologies already used by many vehicles.

EPA’s own analysis shows that delaying the standards would sharply increase harmful pollution, preventable illness, and premature deaths. At a time when healthcare costs are already overwhelming working families, allowing more carcinogens into the air would do further harm to Americans, especially sensitive populations like children and the elderly. 

In response to the delay of these standards, Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All Director Katherine García released the following statement: 

“Tailpipe emission standards are not abstract policies; they are lifesaving protections grounded in science that protect communities across the country from toxic vehicle pollution. Trump’s EPA is moving to weaken standards that are already achievable with readily available technology; delaying them means abandoning proven solutions that save us billions in healthcare costs. EPA’s action would mean more instances of asthma, lung cancer, heart attacks, and strokes. The EPA must uphold these standards, protect public health, and put people over pollution.”