Biden's rules on clean cars face a crucial test as Republican-led challenges go to an appeals court
Efforts by the Biden administration to limit tailpipe pollution from automobiles face a crucial test as legal challenges brought by Republican-led states head to a federal appeals court
WASHINGTON — Efforts by the Biden administration to limit pollution from automobile tailpipes — a major source of planet-warming emissions — face a crucial test as legal challenges brought by Republican-led states head to a federal appeals court.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will hear arguments Thursday and Friday on three cases challenging Biden administration rules targeting cars and trucks. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming, and the legal cases could go all the way to the Supreme Court.
Republican attorneys general say the legal challenges are needed to curtail government overreach, while environmental groups and the Democratic administration say an adverse ruling could jeopardize protections against deadly pollution that contributes to climate change.
The cases before the appeals court will test a 2021 Environmental Protection Agency rule that strengthened tailpipe pollution limits and a 2022 EPA decision that restored California’s authority to set its own tailpipe pollution standards for cars and SUVs. At least 15 states and the District of Columbia have signed on to California’s vehicle standards, which are stricter than federal rules and are designed to address the state’s severe air pollution problems. Seven of the 10 U.S. cities with the worst ozone pollution are in California.
A third case challenges mileage standards set by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is leading a
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