OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington Governor Bob Ferguson’s office criticized the to block California’s rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.
“Today’s decision by Congress is brazenly out of step with the law, science, and public will. For more than 50 years, states have possessed the ability to adopt stronger vehicle emissions standards to protect public health. Washington has exercised that right, along with 17 other states, resulting in cleaner air and healthier communities. Despite this retreat from public health by the federal government, I’m committed to ensuring Washington moves forward on building a healthier, cleaner future,” the Governor’s office stated.
The blocked rule was part of California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Zero-Emission Vehicle Program, which is part of of the organization’s broader Advanced Clean Cars package (ACC).
According to the CARB’s online resources, zero-emission vehicle requirements within ACC II are designed for new vehicles to reach 100% zero-emission and clean plug-in hybrid-electric in California by 2035.
Earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office claimed that California’s policies were “not subject to the Congressional Review Act,” a decision intended to protect the policies from Congress having the ability to reject them with a simple majority vote.
Despite this, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, the South Dakota Republican, managed to circumvent the decision by establishing “a new Senate precedent” that allowed Congress to vote to overturn California’s policies.
After the Senate’s decision, President Trump is expected to sign the measure, along with two others that would block California’s rules addressing air pollution from motor vehicles.
This decision will not exclusively impact the state of California, as there are numerous other states that chose to adopt California’s zero-emission rules, including Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
Caroline Halter of the Washington Department of Ecology explained how this decision could affect the state of Washington.
“WA has legal limits on greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2050, and those cannot be met without addressing transportation emissions. Transportation is our biggest single source of greenhouse gas emissions,” Halter said.
According to Halter, this is also an issue of air quality. The Washington Department of Ecology has published data showing communities in Washington where residents have shorter lifespans, compared to other communities, because of air pollution.
“Exhaust from vehicles is a major factor,” Halter stated in regard to the shortened lifespans of these communities.
Discussing how zero-emission standards work, Halter explained the difference in requirements between passenger cars and commercial vans and trucks.
“For passenger cars, the requirement is that 100% of new cars sold in our state have to be electric or plug-in hybrid by 2035,” Halter said. “For commercial vans and trucks, the requirements never reach 100%. They vary by the type of vehicle and max out at 40-75% of new vehicle sales in 2035.”
This means that more than half of the new commercial vans and trucks sold in Washington would still be allowed to run on combustion engines, even in 2035. Additionally, the requirements would not be enforced on buyers, as they comprise a manufacturer regulation.
“The policies do not touch the used car market or require anyone to give up their current vehicle,” Halter added.
According to Halter, 20% of the vehicles sold – both passenger and commercial – in Washington state already run on zero-emission technology, implying that the state is already on its way to a “cleaner transportation sector.”
During the initial Trump administration in 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rescinded California’s zero-emission waivers. As a result, 23 states including Washington and California sued, until eventually automakers agreed to meet the zero-emission standards at the time, regardless of the California waivers.
There has been no official announcement from the state of Washington about joining California in an effort to sue after Thursday’s Senate vote to overturn the regulations.
