Scientists letter to EPA

The document is a formal letter from a multidisciplinary group of experts urging the EPA to maintain strong fuel efficiency and emissions standards rather than adopting the proposed SAFE Vehicles Rule, which they argue would harm the climate, public health, and the economy.

• The proposed SAFE Vehicles Rule is described as a rollback of fuel efficiency and emissions standards that will cause long-term negative impacts on climate, health, safety, and economic stability.
• The authors assert that the rule was developed by ignoring the warnings of the broader scientific community, the EPA's own staff experts, and the agency's own internal modelling results, some of which remain hidden from the public.
• Strong fuel efficiency and emissions standards are identified as the most effective existing policy for reducing global warming emissions and avoiding severe climate impacts like extreme weather and coastal property damage from rising seas.
• The proposed rule is criticized for ignoring local air quality impacts, specifically regarding refinery emissions, changes in travel, and alternative fuels, which could lead to unnecessary loss of life, particularly in low-income communities and communities of color.
• The authors argue that maintaining strong standards benefits consumers through more fuel-efficient vehicle choices and supports employment by shifting spending from petroleum and wholesale industries to other job-generating sectors.
• The document cites an analysis by the EPA and NHTSA suggesting that the proposed rule would lead to a significant loss of jobs in the auto industry, estimated at 60,000 by 2030.
• The authors note that four major automakers opposed the administration's proposal and instead reached an agreement with California to adhere to stronger standards.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2019). Scientists letter to EPA. https://ucs-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/clean-vehicles/20191028ScientiststoEPAVehicleStandards.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Scientists letter to EPA. 2019. https://ucs-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/clean-vehicles/20191028ScientiststoEPAVehicleStandards.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Scientists letter to EPA |date=28 October 2019 |url=https://ucs-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/clean-vehicles/20191028ScientiststoEPAVehicleStandards.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{unionofconcernedscientists2019scientists, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Scientists letter to EPA}}, publisher = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2019}, month = oct, url = {https://ucs-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/clean-vehicles/20191028ScientiststoEPAVehicleStandards.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }