The Latest: Brown pledges fierce fight on vehicle emissions

The Latest on a California lawsuit over vehicle emissions standards (all times local):

10:30 a.m.

California Gov. Jerry Brown says the state's conflict with the Trump administration is "sharpening."

Brown is speaking at a press conference about a new lawsuit filed by the state and 16 others against the Environmental Protection Agency's plans to roll back the standards on emissions and gas mileage.

Brown is a Democrat and says such a roll back will jeopardize the country's auto industry and hurt the health of Californians and Americans breathing in tailpipe emissions.

He's pledging to use every resource at the state's disposal to fight it.

California has waged battles with the Trump administration on climate, immigration, health care and a variety of other issues. But Brown says the fight over climate policies is the most critical.

He calls climate change an existential threat and says EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and President Donald Trump are leading the nation on a "path to disaster."

__

10 a.m.

California and 16 other U.S. states are suing the Trump administration over its plans to scrap vehicle mileage standards and how much greenhouse gases vehicles can emit.

California Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the lawsuit Tuesday.

It takes aim at a plan by the Environmental Protection Agency to scrap standards for vehicles manufactured between 2022 and 2025.

The standards would have required vehicles to get 36 miles per gallon (58 kilometers per gallon) by 2025, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) over the existing standard.

EPA administrator Scott Pruitt says the standards are not appropriate and need revision.

Joining California are Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia.