Sierra Club & Partners Oppose Trump EPA’s Weakening of Vehicle Pollutant Standards

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Yesterday, the Sierra Club joined partners in opposing the Trump EPA’s proposal to weaken vehicle pollutant standards by delaying the implementation of more protective standards by two years.

The existing standards limit harmful tailpipe pollutants — including nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, particulate matter and toxics — from conventional gas-powered cars, pickups, and vans. The standards, required by the Clean Air Act, reduce smog, improve air quality, and protect public health using affordable, widely available technology that automakers already use.

The EPA’s own analysis shows that weakening the existing standards would lead to more harmful air pollution, more preventable illnesses, and more premature deaths.

Read the organizations’ full comments here.

Josh Berman, Senior Attorney with the Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program, released the following statement: 

“Clean vehicle standards are among the strongest public health protections we have, cutting dangerous tailpipe pollution that causes asthma, heart disease, strokes, and other serious illnesses. At a time when families are already struggling with rising healthcare costs, the Trump administration wants to let more toxic pollution into the air, even though the required technology is already widely available and affordable. The EPA should do its job and protect people’s health, not give polluters another deadly handout.”

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of 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.