Trump to announce EPA review of Obama-era auto emissions rules during Detroit trip
The president is expected to announce an EPA review of fuel efficiency rules on Wednesday, during a meeting with auto industry executives in Detroit, Michigan.
One day after it was reported Trump is set to sign an order greatly reducing the role climate change plays in U.S. government decision making, the president's Wednesday announcement signals another step away from his predecessor's climate-forward position on energy and environmental policy.
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An overhaul of the EPA rules could mean American automakers would no longer have to meet certain fuel efficiency standards meant to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from passenger cars in the U.S.
According to NPR, a senior White House official said the president wants to "set standards that are technologically feasible, economically feasible and allow the auto industry to grow and create jobs."
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"Will be going to Detroit, Michigan (love), today for a big meeting on bringing back car production to State & U.S. Already happening!," the president wrote in one of his Wednesday morning tweets.
Will be going to Detroit, Michigan (love), today for a big meeting on bringing back car production to State & U.S. Already happening!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 15, 2017
According to an EPA overview, the regulations were intended to result in "an average industry fleetwide level of 163 grams/mile of carbon dioxide" by 2025 -- the equivalent to 54.5 miles per gallon. The EPA overview states this would cut "6 billion metric tons" of greenhouse gas emissions over the lifetimes of the vehicles sold between 2012 and 2025.
The rules review reportedly comes after a request last month from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a group that represents automakers both foreign and domestic.
Michelle Deatrick of Michigan's Washtenaw County is helping organize a protest of Trump's visit to Ypsilanti Township on Wednesday, and told MLive.com her protest group is expecting "several hundred people" to turn out for the anti-Trump event.
Trump took Michigan by .3 percent in the 2016 general election against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton -- or 10,704 votes.
