Colorado adopts California’s vehicle emission rules

DENVER— Colorado has adopted vehicle emission rules that incorporate California standards, joining several other states in moving pre-emptively to avoid any weakening of federal standards by the Trump administration.

Friday’s vote by the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission enacts a June executive order by Gov. John Hickenlooper, whose administration aims to reduce greenhouse gases by 25 percent by 2025.

Under the rules, new vehicles sold in Colorado must average 36 mpg by 2025. That’s about 10 mpg over the existing standard.

Automobile dealers and industry officials argued the rules will add thousands of dollars to new vehicles’ prices — especially pickups, SUVS and all-wheel-drive vehicles that burn more gasoline and are widely used in Colorado’s rugged mountain areas, The Colorado Sun reported.

“Forcing our state’s small businesses to comply with and live under rules made by regulators in another state, where conditions are so much different, does not make sense,” Tony Gagliardi, Colorado director of the National Federation of Independent Business, testified on Thursday.

Currently, California’s standards are the same as the federal ones. But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering freezing the federal standards, adopted by the Obama administration, at 2020 levels. Trump administration officials argue current rules will raise the price of vehicles by an average of more than $2,000.

California has a waiver under the federal Clean Air Act allowing it to impose tougher standards.

Steven Douglas, director of environmental affairs for the Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers, urged Colorado regulators to delay any decision until the EPA decides what to do.

Metropolitan Denver, at 1 mile in altitude, routinely experiences ozone levels deemed to be unhealthy. Ground-level ozone, the main ingredient in smog, can cause serious breathing problems for some people.