Justice Department Drops Investigation Against Four Automakers That Sided With California’s Emissions Standards

Traffic backs up at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge toll plaza along Interstate 80 on July 25, 2019 in Oakland, California. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images The U.S. Department of Justice decided to drop its vindictive investigation into four automakers that teamed up with California to implement stricter emissions standards for cars and light trucks than the Trump administration wants, as The New York Times reported. In September, the Justice Department decided to investigate Ford, Volkswagen, Honda and BMW for antitrust practices, for their decision to work with California to reject the White House’s rollback of national fuel economy standards, as The New York Times reported. Under the Clean Air Act, California has had the authority to protect its citizens from air pollution , but the Trump administration revoked that authority once California struck a deal with the automakers, according to CNN . Last week, after looking into the matter since September, the Justice Department decided that the automakers’ efforts to reduce pollution spewed by their vehicles did not actually violate any laws. The decision not to pursue legal action represents a rare retreat for the Trump administration, which has aggressively sought to dismantle environmental regulations, as CNN reported. […]

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