General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Toyota have thrown their support behind the Trump administration in the legal battle over whether California has the authority to set its own vehicle emissions standards, The New York Times reported on Monday.
The move effectively splits the automobile industry over the issue, as earlier this year, in July, Ford, BMW, Honda and Volkswagen made a deal with California for standards stricter than what the Trump administration proposed in in its rollback of the Obama-era emissions regulations.
The Trump administration warned the automakers that their deal with California may violate federal antitrust laws and revoked the state’s authority to set its own standards under the 1970 Clear Air Act.
Those actions by the Trump administration led nearly half the states, including California, to sue the government, a case that is likely to go the Supreme Court. Experts say the showdown will decide if setting emissions regulations are an issue of state’s rights previously as established in the Clean Air Act, or the sole authority of federal legislation.
The Hill reported that for decades, California has been issued waivers to allowing it to set air pollution standards higher than that of the federal government due to its unique and significant struggle with both air pollution and smog.
Some dozen other states and the District of Columbia follow its fuel economy standards.
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