California sued the Trump administration Monday, seeking to protect its authority over vehicle emissions standards in the US auto market. The lawsuit, filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, challenges the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision to submit four California emissions waivers to Congress for review.
The EPA's move sets up a legal battle that could determine whether California retains its longstanding influence over the US auto market. In a press release announcing the move earlier this month, the agency said it was committed to promoting consumer choice and ensuring affordable vehicles for all Americans, while following the best reading of the law.
California argues that the EPA's decision threatens its authority under the Clean Air Act to impose vehicle emissions standards stricter than federal requirements. The state also contends that other states have adopted California's emissions standards over the years, extending its influence beyond its borders.
At issue is the EPA's decision to submit four California waivers covering vehicle emissions and lawn and garden equipment to Congress for review under the Congressional Review Act. California argues that the EPA is improperly attempting to transform agency decisions that have historically been treated as waivers into regulations that Congress can overturn.
The state wrote in its lawsuit that "no agency has the power to wave a magic wand and transform an action that was finalized as an adjudicatory order into a rule, and certainly not without a public process in which the agency acknowledges and explains its change in position."
The legal fight marks the latest clash between California and the Trump administration over environmental policy and vehicle emissions regulations. Last year, the Trump administration and congressional Republicans used the Congressional Review Act to overturn California's electric vehicle sales mandates and diesel engine rules. California later challenged those actions in court.
The outcome of the latest lawsuit could have implications beyond California, potentially determining whether Congress can more easily unwind environmental policies through the Congressional Review Act and whether California can continue using federal waivers to shape emissions standards adopted by other states.
