California takes legal action against Trump due to obstructing the implementation of clean-air regulations for automobiles and trucks in the state.
Sparking a Battle Over Climate Pollution:
California's Attorney General, Rob Bonta, has accused federal authorities of unlawful and partisan actions, following a lawsuit over the Trump administration's block on California's mandate to phase out gas-powered cars.
The feud started when President Trump signed a resolution that blocked California's historic ban on new gas-powered cars by 2035, prompting Bonta to announce a lawsuit, describing the move as "illegal attacks" on California. Ten other states, including Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, and New York, have joined the legal battle.
California, notorious for its harmful air pollution, has traditionally been granted waivers to set its own, more stringent vehicle standards. The 1967 Clean Air Act permitted these measures to curb air pollution in the state, home to five of the U.S.'s 10 most polluted cities.
Under California's 2022 mandate, models of new cars sold in the state must meet increasingly strict zero-emissions requirements, ratcheting up from 35% in 2026 to 100% by 2035. The Trump administration's resolution also targeted California's 2020 Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which sets emission standards for medium and heavy-duty vehicles, as well as a state regulation aimed at reducing smog-forming nitrogen oxides produced by trucks and buses.
Governor Gavin Newsom accused Trump of being a "wholly-owned subsidiary of big polluters" in a statement, denouncing the President's actions as an "all-out assault on California and America's global competitiveness in the process." In a standoff, California is currently embroiled in 25 lawsuits challenging Trump administration actions over climate change and environmental policies.
Climate Superfund Battle
In April, President Trump issued an order forcing the Department of Justice to cease the enforcement of allegedly unconstitutional or unenforceable state climate laws. The order targeted California, New York, and Vermont and aimed to invalidate state regulations from cap-and-trade programs to licensing regulations.
One of the regulations under the crosshairs is California's climate superfund legislation, enacted in February. Modeled after similar laws passed in New York and Vermont last year, the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act seeks to make fossil fuel companies financially responsible for damage caused by the burning of coal, oil, and gas. Companies producing over 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2024 will be required to pay into the new fund, providing a steady stream of revenue for climate disaster recovery and resilience projects.
California has been grappling with alarming climate-related disasters such as wildfires, heatwaves, and droughts, causing massive destruction and financial loss. The legislation aims to create a stable, state-controlled funding source, as California can no longer rely on consistent federal disaster relief funding. The Trump administration's blocking of California's requests for federal assistance after devastating disasters underscores the necessity for financial independence at the state level to tackle ongoing climate crises.
Dive Deeper: *Exploring the 'Climate Superfund' Laws Trump Is Threatening to End*
[Source: https://www.insideclimatenews.com/news/2630173283/letter-lawsuit-california-gas-ban-new-gas-cars-trump - Accessed 2022-09-02]
- The legal battle over California's mandate to phase out gas-powered cars, a move aimed at reducing air pollution and combating climate change, has become a contentious issue in environmental-science policy-and-legislation.
- California's stand against partisan actions by federal authorities over climate pollution has gained support from other states, including Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, and New York.
- The Trump administration's resolution to block California's historic ban on new gas-powered cars by 2035 is viewed by critics as an "all-out assault" on California's efforts to curb climate change and air pollution.
- The Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act, California's climate-superfund legislation, seeks to make fossil fuel companies financially responsible for damage caused by climate change, aiming to provide a steady stream of revenue for climate disaster recovery and resilience projects.
- The broader implications of this battle extend beyond California, as it raises questions about the role of politics in climate-change policy and the need for more robust science-based solutions to combat climate change and protect the environment.
