Lamont, As Governor, Will Sue Trump Over Emissions Standards

From Lamont for governor:

Ned Lamont, endorsed Democratic candidate for Governor, outlined his plans to protect the health, safety, and well-being of Connecticut residents following the Trump administration’s proposal to roll back federal greenhouse gas emissions standards during a press conference today.

Lamont, joined by Attorney General George Jepsen, discussed Connecticut’s right to set appropriate vehicle emissions standards.

“As Governor, I would work closely with the state’s Attorney General to bring a lawsuit against the Trump administration for weakening fuel-efficiency standards for cars and light trucks,” Lamont said. “By bringing more electric and fuel efficient vehicles to the market, we can curb gasoline use in our state. We need to encourage and incentivize more residents to purchase an electric vehicle. We can do this by expanding the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) program, expanding electric vehicle technology to public transportation and supporting a new tax break for installing charging stations at multi family homes.”

On Aug. 2, the Trump administration announced its proposal to repeal the California waiver, a caveat included in the Clean Air Act that permits California to set its own motor vehicle standards. Other states, including Connecticut, have used the waiver to establish higher standards for vehicle emissions.

“We must be the firewall when it comes to issues as critical as our emissions standards. It is particularly important to Connecticut as we see the Trump administration try and roll back our environment and fuel emissions standards. It cannot be any worse. Connecticut is downwind and that has a drastic impact on our air quality and public health,” Lamont said. “I thought Republicans wanted the states to lead the charge on issues, but as we are witnessing, this is a whole new Republican party. This is not the party of a president who previously created the Environmental Protection Agency.”