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In a recent public radio interview, IU McKinney Law Professor of Practice Janet McCabe commented on the Environmental Protection Agency’s plans to halt Obama-era fuel economy standards.

The fuel economy standards would have required new cars and light trucks to use less gas over time, reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate issues.

The new proposal puts that on hold for another six years starting in 2020. Vehicle manufacturers would use lighter materials that increase the chances of fatalities to meet the current, stricter rules, and car owners would keep older, less fuel-efficient vehicles that don’t have new safety features longer, the EPA says.

But the Trump administration’s claims to prioritize safety over fuel efficiency are “highly debatable,” Professor McCabe said in the interview, which aired on August 3.

“Seems like a pretty strange conclusion which is that automakers would sacrifice safety for fuel efficiency. They won’t, of course,” she said.  

Professor McCabe is Assistant Director for Policy and Implementation at IU’s Environmental Resilience Institute. She is also a Senior Law Fellow with the Environmental Law and Policy Center. Professor McCabe served as the Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation at the EPA from 2013-17 and was nominated by President Barack Obama to be Assistant Administrator of that office.