A waiver granted under the Clean Air Act allowing California to set its own auto emissions standards is expected to be revoked on Wednesday by the Trump administration, according to the New York Times.
The Times reported that a plan addressing emissions standards has been in the works since last summer, as part of a larger effort to dismantle environmental policies set by President Barack Obama.
According to CNN, California was granted the waiver because of its “unique geography and history of intense air pollution.” The Trump administration plans to argue, CNN reports, that the EPA was acting unlawfully when they granted the waiver, which was part of the 1970 Clean Air Act.
The change will be announced while President Trump is traveling in California to attend fundraisers, according to the Times.
This move would affect more states than California. Thirteen other states follow California’s standards, according to Politico, which represents 36% of vehicle sales in the nation.
In July, the Times reported that four automakers — Ford, Volkswagen, Honda, and BMW — rejected Trump administration emissions guidelines and made a deal with California officials to develop alternative standards.
Trump tweeted his disapproval of the deal at the time, CNBC reports, claiming “Henry Ford would be very disappointed” in the move.
According to the Times, the Trump administration is aiming to change environmental rules set in place by Obama, which would require automakers to produce vehicles that have an average fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. This would significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions from those vehicles, eliminating about 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide pollution.
The Trump administration, meanwhile, is seeking to lower the requirement to 37 miles per gallon, which would allow significantly more pollution to occur, says the Times.
In a statement reported by CNN, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said, “It’s a move that could have devastating consequences for our kids’ health and the air we breathe, if California were to roll over. But we will not — we will fight this latest attempt and defend our clean car standards.”