Carper Applauds EPAs Proposed Decision on Green House Gas Standards for Light Duty Vehicles

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del), who will serve as ranking member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in the 115th Congress, released the following statement today praising the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed decision on greenhouse gas standards for light duty vehicles:

“I am thrilled by today’s announcement that the Environmental Protection Agency intends to uphold strong fuel emission standards and continue the meaningful progress we’ve made over the years to reduce air pollution by curbing dirty emissions from our trucks and cars. Preserving these ambitious emission standards will not only continue to protect our air and help consumers continue to save money at the pump, they will also accelerate job creation in manufacturing as our auto companies develop technology to build the clean cars of the future. This is just further proof of something that I’ve long said—we can grow our economy and protect our environment at the same time.

“This announcement is good news for all Americans, especially those who share my concerns that the next Administration may rollback the great progress we’ve made over the past eight years to ensure we have clean air for generations to come and stem the tide of climate change. I look forward to working with Senator Barrasso and the members of our committee to ensure these rigorous standards are implemented and to preserve our nation’s leadership in clean energy technology.”

Sen. Carper has long been a supporter of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and oil consumption through increasing fuel efficiency. In 2007, Sen. Carper played an instrumental role in securing the first increase in 32 years of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards as a part of the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act. Sen. Carper’s negotiations included the first ever application of CAFE standards to medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Today’s announcement came after EPA’s midterm review of  the GHG standards for light duty vehicles for model years 2022-2025, resulting in a proposed decision to keep the standards as-is.