Attorney General Ford Applauds Rule Change Allowing States to Adopt More Stringent Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards


March 9, 2022

Carson City, NV – Today, Attorney General Aaron D. Ford issued the following statement in support of the Environmental Protection Agency’s final rule restoring the right of California to set vehicle emissions standards that are more stringent than those at the national level, and states' ability to adopt California's standards. In September 2019, AG Ford joined a multistate lawsuit regarding the Trump Administration's unlawful revocation of California's vehicle emissions waiver. 

“I am thrilled that the federal government has taken the right steps to protect our environment after the setbacks under the previous administration,” said AG Ford. “I will continue to fight alongside our partners in other states to ensure we can implement the standards necessary to combat the climate crisis.”

AG Ford previously joined a coalition urging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to repeal the so-called “Preemption Rule.” This rule, implemented by the Trump administration in 2019, purported to revoke the legal authority of California to set more stringent emissions rules and set zero-emission vehicle mandates.

In October 2021, Nevada joined 14 other states and Washington, D.C. in adopting California’s Low Emission Vehicle standards and Zero Emission Vehicle Programs under the Clean Cars Nevada regulation, which stemmed from Gov. Steve Sisolak’s 2019 executive order on climate change.

AG Ford has pushed the Biden Administration to reduce emissions from the transportation sector and to reaffirm California's authority to do the same. Last summer, AG Ford submitted comments urging the EPA to restore California’s waiver under the Clean Air Act for its GHG and zero emission vehicle standards.  

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