California officials are withdrawing their final requests to enforce their nation-leading electric vehicle rules, days before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
State officials told EPA on Monday they wouldn’t seek federal permission to enforce their rules covering trains and zero-emission trucks, in anticipation of attacks by the Trump administration. Trump used California’s strict pollution standards as a political punching bag during his reelection campaign, and vowed to roll them back once he takes office.
“Withdrawal is an important step given the uncertainty presented by the incoming administration that previously attacked California’s programs to protect public health and the climate,” California Air Resources Board Chair Liane Randolph said in a statement Tuesday.
The regulations were California’s Advanced Clean Fleets program, which would’ve required operators to buy zero-emissions trucks, and the state’s In-Use Locomotive Regulation, which would’ve required railroads to cut emissions from diesel-powered engines.