The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that a landmark Obama-era effort to cut vehicle greenhouse gas emissions is too aggressive and agrees with automakers that the standards should be revised, according to people familiar with the matter.
The agency has completed a draft decision outlining the rationale for easing fuel efficiency regulations for model-year 2022-2025 cars and light trucks, two people said. Bill Wehrum, chief of the agency's Office of Air and Radiation, plans to meet with environmental regulators in California in the coming week to discuss the draft determination ahead of an April 1 deadline to make it public, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision hasn't been made public.
In an email, EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman confirmed the agency has sent a draft of the decision on the standards to the White House's Office of Management and Budget and that the final determination will be signed by April 1. Bowman didn't describe the contents of the draft.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.