EPA chief softens stance on fuel-economy rollback

EPA Acting Administrator Andrew WheelerU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Andrew Wheeler is sending signals that the Trump administration's plans to roll back Obama-era fuel-efficiency standards may not go forward as originally outlined. According to Wheeler, "key aspects" of the strategy are still under review. Wheeler told Bloomberg that while the administration remains...

Survey: Vast majority of Americans want higher mpg in new vehicles

2020 Hyundai Ioniq (European spec)There was a time when freezing federal vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards was something that automakers, a wide range of companies, and a very significant portion of the American public might have backed. But that isn’t the case today. A new nationally representative survey from Consumer Reports, conducted in June but released last...

EPA lifts smog-related ban, allows more ethanol in summer gasoline

Gas pumpToday, the EPA acted on a proposed change to expand the amount of ethanol that can be mixed into pump gasoline from June 1 to September 1. In an official announcement, the agency made no comment about how the move might affect summer air quality or pollution issues. The EPA said that it “delivers on President Trump’s promise,”...

Report: EPA backs off plans to freeze fuel economy rules–slightly

EPA Acting Administrator Andrew WheelerEPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced Thursday that the agency will delay and revise its plan to freeze emissions and fuel-economy rules, which was expected to be released early this month. The proposed rule, the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule, would freeze fuel-economy standards at 2020 levels through 2026 and reverse...

EPA panel says air pollution not harmful

EPA Acting Administrator Andrew WheelerIt isn't just global warming emissions that the EPA plans to deregulate. At a meeting last Thursday, a key air quality standards board at the agency cast doubt on longstanding findings that particulate matter—the microscopic particles spewing from diesel tailpipes—can cause health problems leading to premature deaths. In the absence of...