Hyperdrive
Testimony in First Tailpipe Hearing Lashes Trump's Rollback Plan
- Audience in smoggy Fresno, California, supports state standard
- NHTSA, EPA hearing debates Trump plan to ease pollution limits
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg
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If the Trump Administration was hoping for a favorable audience at the first hearing on its proposal to roll back U.S. car emission standards, it didn’t find one in smoggy Fresno, California.
California officials, environmental advocates, electric car supporters and residents came out to decry an effort that they said would endanger the health and economy of the state. Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed freezing fuel efficiency requirements for autos at 37 miles per gallon in 2020, instead of letting them rise to 47 mpg by 2025 under Obama-era regulations. This would cap emission standards, too.