A federal judge in Washington, D.C., issued a preliminary injunction against the Environmental Protection Agency. The court order blocks the agency from proceeding with actions that target four Clean Air Act preemption waivers previously granted to California.
Senior U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell also denied a motion from the EPA to dismiss the ongoing legal case. The injunction requires the agency to restore the status quo that existed before it announced the reclassification of the four environmental waivers.
The EPA had moved to reclassify these waivers into rules subject to the Congressional Review Act in June 2026. This reclassification was intended to allow Congress to attempt a repeal of the waivers through an expedited legislative process.
The Sierra Club, which represents millions of members, stated that these waivers are essential for maintaining public health and driving innovation in cleaner engine and vehicle technologies across the state.
