Environmental regulators announced on Monday, April 2, 2018, they will ease emissions standards for cars and trucks, saying that a timeline put in place by President Obama was not appropriate and set standards “too high.” (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

Environmental regulators announced on Monday, April 2, 2018, they will ease emissions standards for cars and trucks, saying that a timeline put in place by President Obama was not appropriate and set standards “too high.” (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

States sue over plan to scrap car emission standards

Washington has joined the lawsuit, along with 16 other states and the District of Columbia.

  • By KATHLEEN RONAYNE Associated Press
  • Tuesday, May 1, 2018 10:24am
  • Northwest

By Kathleen Ronayne / Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Washington has joined California and 15 other U.S. states in suing the Trump administration over its plans to scrap standards for how much greenhouse gases vehicles can emit.

California Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the lawsuit Tuesday.

It takes aim at a plan by the Environmental Protection Agency to scrap standards for vehicles manufactured between 2022 and 2025.

The standards would have required vehicles to get 36 miles per gallon by 2025, about 10 miles over the existing standard.

EPA administrator Scott Pruitt says the standards are not appropriate and need revision.

Other states joining the lawsuit are Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

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