The US Supreme Court overturned a lower court's ruling on June 20th in a case where Valero Energy, a fuel company, sued the state of California over its vehicle emissions standards. "The government is generally not free to target a particular business or industry, through stringent and allegedly unlawful regulations," wrote Republican-appointed Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
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Cars on a highway during rush hour in San Francisco, California, USA, on 24/8/2022. *Photo: Reuters* |
Chet Thompson, president of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers trade association, welcomed the decision. "Congress did not give California special authority to regulate greenhouse gases, mandate electric vehicles, or ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars. The state has deliberately tried to take these actions by misreading the law," Thompson said.
Following the ruling, further proceedings in the case will be handled by a lower court. "While disappointed with the Supreme Court's decision, we will continue to defend California’s authority under the Clean Air Act," said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. He added that “the fight for clean air is far from over.”
Previously, a judge at the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that Valero Energy lacked the necessary legal standing to challenge the 2022 decision by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Under the Biden administration, the EPA granted California a waiver from national vehicle emissions standards under the Clean Air Act. This waiver allows California to set stricter greenhouse gas emission limits and zero-emission vehicle regulations than those mandated at the federal level.
This waiver was revoked in 2019 by the Trump administration during his thu nhat term. Following the second granting of the waiver, the state's emissions regulations are set to expire in the coming months.
Revoking California's waiver was one of three resolutions signed by President Donald Trump and passed by Congress last week. The other two resolutions rescinded California's plan to ban the sale of gasoline-only vehicles from 2035 and repealed its regulations on nitrogen oxide emissions from heavy-duty trucks.
California and 10 other states sued Trump over this action. California Governor Gavin Newsom argued that these resolutions could cost Californians an additional 45 billion USD in healthcare expenses due to increased air pollution.
Bao Bao (*via Reuters*)
