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The Biden administration has made a final push to strengthen California’s environmental regulations by approving several Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waivers, allowing the state to enforce stricter emissions standards on various equipment and vehicles.
According to Politico, these actions represent Biden’s last efforts to protect California’s climate initiatives before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office, as Trump has promised to dismantle these state regulations.
The newly granted EPA waivers enable California to implement more stringent emissions regulations than federal standards under the Clean Air Act. This move provides additional protection for the state’s environmental policies against potential challenges from Trump and his supporters. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced that House Republicans would focus on eliminating electric vehicle policies and other Democratic climate initiatives.
The Biden Administration has given the green light to California's gas car ban.
Remember when Kamala said she would "never tell you what kind of car you have to drive"?
Never trust a career politician. pic.twitter.com/LiT5UEFNc9
— Daniel Turner (@DanielTurnerPTF) December 18, 2024
California authorities have spent over a year requesting EPA waivers for eight different regulations. These recent approvals follow two previous waivers issued in December regarding the state’s vehicle pollution regulations.
Given California’s substantial population of nearly 40 million and its significant market presence, these stricter emissions requirements could influence national standards, similar to how the state’s egg and pork regulations have impacted the broader U.S. market.
President Biden just gave California the green light to ban gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers. He's truly tackling the big issues on his way out the door.
This idiocy will be reversed in short order.
— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) January 5, 2025
The American Trucking Associations expressed opposition to last month’s EPA waiver allowing California to set more stringent truck emissions standards, stating: “This ill-advised waiver will be short-lived. We look forward to the incoming administration and soon-to-be EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin reversing these misguided policies and restoring common sense to the nation’s environmental policy.”
Industry experts warn that these heightened regulations might discourage truckers from operating in California. This could result in fewer trucks servicing the nation’s busiest ports in Long Beach and Los Angeles, potentially triggering supply chain disruptions reminiscent of the 2021 cargo crisis.
