On Thursday, the Trump administration announced rollbacks to the Clean Car Standards, which set guidelines for vehicle emissions, but Colorado officials are preparing a workaround.
State and national environmental groups say Trump’s decision will exacerbate global climate change, cost consumers more at the gas pump and hurt air quality.
In June, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed an executive order that directs Colorado officials to develop state standards that exceed the new national baseline. Because of Colorado’s high elevation and the mountain topography, Hickenlooper said it’s particularly important to limit air pollution here.
“The same amount of pollution in Colorado will cause more discomfort to somebody with asthma than if that person were on the east coast or the west coast,” he said.
The state Air Quality Control Commission is set to start discussions of Colorado’s clean car standards later this month.
