Larisa Manescu, Sierra Club, larisa.manescu@sierralclub.org
Mark Drajem, NRDC, MDrajem@nrdc.org
WASHINGTON, DC- Today, the Sierra Club and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) filed a lawsuit in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals challenging NHTSA's interim final rule -- finalized just days before President Joe Biden’s inauguration -- that delays stiffer penalties for new cars and trucks that violate fuel-economy standards.
Under the Obama Administration, NHTSA had adjusted the fines for inflation—from $5.50 to $14.00—for the first time in nearly two decades, making the increase applicable to model year 2019 vehicles. The Trump Administration tried to roll back this increase twice, and both times, the Second Circuit ordered NHTSA, in 2018 and 2020, to reinstate the Obama $14.00 penalty rate beginning with model year 2019 vehicles. The last-minute Trump rule would delay those penalties until model-year 2022.
“This shameful midnight rule from Trump’s NHTSA is a giveaway to recalcitrant automakers and has no place in a Biden Administration dedicated to climate action, cleaner vehicles, and public health. We’re confident we will win again as we fight to hold automakers accountable to a law that protects communities across the nation from dangerous tailpipe pollution," said Sierra Club Chief Climate Counsel Joanne Spalding.
“On its way out the door, the Trump administration gave automakers a pass to pollute,” said Gabe Daly, an attorney at NRDC. “We cannot let this stand. If automakers violate the fuel-economy standards, they should face a meaningful fine. Federal courts have already twice ruled to that effect, and this last-minute action by the Trump administration ignored those rulings.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.8 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.
About NRDC
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.8 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.