California Files Suit Against Federal Agencies Over Vehicle Emissions Standards Rollback

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has sued two US federal agencies over the data they used to support rolling back Obama-era vehicle emissions standards.

In September of 2018, CARB requested information about the changing emissions standards from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through the Freedom of Information Act.  CARB alleges that the agencies failed to comply with the requests and in its suit accused the Trump administration of “willfully withholding” information.

In the complaint, CARB asks the court to order the agencies to conduct searches and make any non-exempt agency records that were requested available to CARB.

“The public has a right to see all the facts and analysis used to support a rollback that increases oil consumption, hurts consumers, and pumps more air pollution and hundreds of million tons of climate-changing gases into the atmosphere,” said CARB Chair Mary Nichols in a press statement.

Additional Resources

California sues US agencies over information on rollback of vehicle emissions standards, Jurist, April 9, 2019

View the Docket Report — California Air Resources Board v. United States Environmental Protection Agency et al

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