(Hartford, CT)– Attorney General William Tong today issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final action restoring California’s waiver under the Clean Air Act for its greenhouse gas (GHG) and zero-emission vehicle programs. Attorney General Tong was part of multistate litigation during the Trump Administration defending California’s longstanding authority to set its own vehicle emission standards.

“This is a huge victory for air quality and our climate,” Attorney General Tong said. “I applaud the Biden Administration for restoring California’s waiver for clean car standards. These standards, adopted by Connecticut under the Clean Air Act, are critical to fight climate change and improve public health and our environment.” 

Attorney General Tong has pushed the Biden Administration to reduce emissions from the transportation sector and to reaffirm California’s authority to do the same. This summer, Attorney General Tong submitted comments urging the EPA to restore California’s waiver under the Clean Air Act for its GHG and zero emission vehicle standards. 

The Attorney General also joined a coalition in urging NHTSA to repeal a Trump-era rule, known as the “Preemption Rule,” that purported to preempt California’s GHG and zero-emission-vehicles standards. On December 21, 2021, NHTSA announced a repeal of that rule. More recently, Attorney General Tong joined a multistate coalition in urging the EPA to swiftly adopt strong regulations limiting oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from heavy-duty trucks.

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