EPA nominee Pruitt to review vehicle emissions rules

WASHINGTON -- Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the EPA, said on Wednesday he will review the Obama administration's recent decision to lock in federal fuel-efficiency rules.On Friday, outgoing EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy finalized a determination that the landmark fuel efficiency rules instituted by President Obama should be locked in through 2025, a bid to maintain a key part of his administration's climate legacy."It merits review and I would review that," Pruitt said during a contentious Senate confirmation hearing, questioning the decision of McCarthy to finalize the determination just two weeks after the public comment period closed on Dec. 30.Pruitt said separately he would not commit to allowing California to continue its own clean vehicle rules under a 2009 decision by the Obama administration.Major U.S. and foreign automakers have appealed to Trump, who has been critical of Obama's climate policies, to review the rules requiring them to nearly double fleet-wide fuel efficiency by 2025, saying they impose significant costs and are out of step with consumer preferences.As part of a 2012 regulation, the EPA had to decide by April 2018 whether to modify the 2022-25 model year vehicle emission rules requiring average fleet-wide efficiency of more than 50 miles per gallon. In 2011, Obama announced an agreement with major automakers to raise fuel efficiency standards to 54.5 miles per gallon. The target, the administration said, would save motorists $1.7 trillion in fuel costs over the life of the vehicles, but cost the auto industry about $200 billion over 13 years.

EPA nominee Pruitt to review vehicle emissions rules

Featured Stories