President Donald Trump issued an executive order pausing a case against California's Advanced Clean Cars, but the Supreme Court has decided to hear it anyway.
According to Land Line Media, the Environmental Protection Agency granted California a waiver to enact stricter car pollution rules. President Trump revoked it in 2019, and President Joe Biden reinstated it in 2022. Oil and gas companies have sued because they believe reinstating it wasn't legal.
What's happening?
Two lawsuits argue that the Advanced Clean Cars waiver is unlawful.
According to Land Line, "The D.C. Circuit rejected the lawsuits, finding that neither the states nor oil and gas companies have standing to sue."
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the oil companies' case, but only if they have the standing to sue. If the high court finds that they do, it will send the case back to the D.C. Circuit to determine if the waiver is legal.
On the other hand, the new EPA leadership is reassessing the waiver and Advanced Clean Cars rules and could revoke it, making the case irrelevant.
The motion said, "Such a reassessment could obviate the need for this court to determine whether petitioners had Article III standing to challenge that decision."
Why is Advanced Clean Cars important?
The Advanced Clean Cars II standards were enacted in 2022 and could have vital effects on your health.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, from 2020 to 2050, the American Lung Association estimated the benefits of electric vehicles could have monumental health benefits, including "110,000 premature deaths avoided, 2.78 million asthma attacks avoided, and 13.4 million lost workdays avoided."
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No way 👎 The ruling could also affect the Advanced Clean Trucks program. Truck particulate matter and smog can have harmful health effects. The Union of Concerned Scientists says these include "irritation and inflammation of the lungs," "worsening asthma and coughing," "lowering resistance to lung infections," and "premature death."
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Studies have already shown the benefits of EVs, including in San Francisco. Fifty-seven sensors monitored the pollution levels from 2018 to 2022 and found a 1.8% decrease in polluting gases yearly. While that number may not seem high, the more EVs on the road, the more significant the increase.
What's being done about protecting California's waiver?
The Sierra Club is one of the organizations acting to protect California's waiver. In a Sierra Club press release, Earthjustice Right To Zero campaign director Paul Cort said, "The fossil fuel industry and its allies are attacking California's longstanding ability to clean up tailpipe pollution with life-saving new car standards."
You can use your voice and speak to your representatives to help ensure rules and regulations match your values, however you feel about it. You can also volunteer for organizations to help with this work.
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