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Trump administration rolls back Obama-era auto emissions standards

  • Scott Blanchard/WITF
Pennsylvania is joining with eight other states and the District of Columbia to combat emissions from vehicles.

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Pennsylvania is joining with eight other states and the District of Columbia to combat emissions from vehicles.

The Trump administration has finalized its rollback of a major Obama-era climate policy, weakening auto emissions standards in a move it says will mean cheaper cars for consumers.

“By making newer, safer, and cleaner vehicles more accessible for American families, more lives will be saved and more jobs will be created,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao said in a statement.

But consumer watchdog organizations, environmental groups and even the Environmental Protection Agency’s own scientific advisory board have raised concerns about that rationale, saying the weakened standards will lead to dirtier air and cost consumers at the gas pump long-term.

Read more at NPR.

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