Larisa Manescu, larisa.manescu@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Sierra Club, alongside several environmental groups and 23 states, filed their opening brief against the Trump Administration’s attack (see standing declarations here) on California’s authority to set more stringent greenhouse gas (GHG) vehicle standards than federal standards and its rescission of California’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) standards.
The Trump Administration’s attack on California’s Clean Car safeguards has wide-reaching implications -- it also affects the population in over a dozen states and Washington, D.C. that have adopted these stronger standards for cars, including 11 states that have adopted the Zero Emission Vehicle standards. The Clean Car Standards protect the environment and the public health of more than 118 million people, upwards of 40 percent of the U.S. population.
In response to the filing, Sierra Club Chief Climate Counsel Joanne Spalding released the following statement:
“We are challenging this misguided attack from the Trump Administration in order to defend the long-standing rights of states to protect their communities from tailpipe pollution. Strong clean car standards are critical to the well-being of communities across the nation -- they protect our air, our health, our climate, and our wallets. We are fighting to protect the Clean Air Act. That’s why we brought this lawsuit, and it’s why we expect to win in court.”
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.