EPA administrator Stephen L. Johnson claimed that the EPA was working on its own standards .
The move has been widely considered an attempt to shield the auto industry from environmental regulation by setting lower standards at the federal level , which would then preempt state laws .
EPA administrator Stephen L. Johnson claimed that the EPA was working on its own standards , but the move has been widely considered an attempt to shield the auto industry from environmental regulation by setting lower standards at the federal level , which would then preempt state laws .