CARB Chair responds to another Trump directive

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) Chairwoman, Mary Nichols, responded today to a new Presidential directive that she claims will weaken air pollution control efforts and threaten the public's health.

Mary Nichols

Photo: CARB

The Presidential Memorandum, which was issued yesterday by President Trump. directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to speed up the review of permit applications, air quality plans, and other areas to streamline and make more efficient a variety of air pollution programs, policies, and procedures.

In the Memorandum, President Trump asserts that existing EPA requirements and procedures have resulted in "unnecessary impediments to new manufacturing and business expansion essential for a growing economy."

In response, Nichols said, “This order caves to a minority of industries who claim Clean Air Act standards are too strict, too costly and too burdensome. The truth is a large body of research shows the Clean Air Act dramatically improves public health, especially among our most vulnerable populations. The consequences of inaction are irresponsible -- unhealthy people, shortened lives, and greater demands on our health care system.”

CARB chair fires back at Trump's EPA, vows to hold automakers to tighter emission standards

California's top air pollution regulator fired back at the Trump administration's EPA today over the latter's plans to weaken air pollution standards for cars and light trucks, model years 2022 - 2025.

Mary D. Nichols, CARB Chair

Photo: California Air Resources Board

Mary D. Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) issued the following statement:

“This is a politically motivated effort to weaken clean vehicle standards with no documentation, evidence or law to back up that decision. This is not a technical assessment, it is a move to demolish the nation’s clean car program. EPA’s action, if implemented, will worsen people’s health with degraded air quality and undermine regulatory certainty for automakers. 

This decision takes the U.S. auto industry backward, and we will vigorously defend the existing clean vehicle standards and fight to preserve one national clean vehicle program. 

Meanwhile, today’s decision changes nothing in California and the 12 other states with clean car rules that reduce emissions and improve gas mileage—those rules remain in place. California will not weaken its nationally accepted clean car standards, and automakers will continue to meet those higher standards, bringing better gas mileage and less pollution for everyone.” 

California draws a line in the sand for Trump, Pruitt, and the new EPA

Our apologies for not having posted recently, but, we were in Palm Springs playing in an international team tennis tournament as well as attending some of the action at the BNP Paribas Open Tennis Championships at Indian Wells, CA.

Anyway, a lot has happened recently in the environmental world. One of the more significant is the response from California authorities to the efforts of the Donald Trump administration to effectively dismantle the EPA and roll back environmental regulations.

photo credit: St. Germaine / Marlene Swetlishoff/Tsu-tana, The Rainbow Scribe

Recent actions by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) demonstrate clearly that whatever Trump and his new EPA chief, Scott Pruitt, try to do to weaken environmental rules, California is drawing a line in the sand and effectively challenging them to a fight.

Here are a few links that clearly show the differences between the new feds and California:

CARB finds vehicle standards are achievable and cost-effective

CARB votes to move forward with greenhouse gas reductions and zero emission programs through 2025; action sets the table for accelerating programs post-2025

CARB approves rule for monitoring and repairing methane leaks from oil and gas facilities

Regulation applies to natural gas pipeline equipment and storage facilities

CARB approves broad plan for reducing climate “super pollutants”

Reductions in short-lived climate pollutants enhance 2030 climate efforts

CARB establishes next generation of emission controls needed to improve state’s air quality

Today the California Air Resources Board approved two critical efforts to provide cleaner air for all Californians.  

In the first action, the Board approved the State Strategy for the State Implementation Plan (State SIP Strategy), which describes CARB’s commitment for further reducing vehicle emissions needed to meet federal air quality standards over the next 15 years. The Board also approved the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s comprehensive air quality plan.

The Board also directed staff to report annually on progress on implementation of the SIP Strategy including recommendations on additional funding as well as direction to expedite implementation where possible. 

In parallel to actions at the state level, CARB will continue to call for strong federal action to develop more stringent engine standards for cars, trucks, ships, aircraft and locomotives. 

Millions appalled as Trump nominates oil industry lackey, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, to head agency

Follow the money. For those who think our government is for sale, recent actions by our future President have done little to allay those fears.

The health and welfare of millions of Americans is about to take another hit with the news that President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Photo: Scott Pruitt, www.ok.gov website. Fair use

Pruitt is the Attorney General for Oklahoma and for several years, with the backing of hundreds of thousands of dollars from the oil industry, has fought to prevent new EPA regulations from being implemented, particularly those that address man-made climate change.

Pruitt is a climate change denier and seemingly does whatever the fossil fuel industry asks him to do. Correspondence protesting environmental regulations sent on his letterhead to government agencies and officials, under his signature, has reportedly been actually written by energy industry lobbyists. These include letters to EPA, the Department of the Interior, and President Obama, among others.

Coupled with the previous announcement that the notorious global warming skeptic Myron Ebell will be leading Trump's effort to revamp federal agencies that deal with environmental issues, this latest nomination has raised a firestorm of protest among environmentalists.

Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters said that having Pruitt lead the EPA is "...like the fox guarding the henhouse."

Said Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen, "Every American should be appalled that ...Trump just picked someone who has made a career of being a vocal defender for polluters to head our Environmental Protection Agency."