The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s emissions plan for heavy-duty vehicles faces a protracted fight after a group of 33 Republicans signed a resolution to block.
Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska introduced the resolution on Feb. 9 under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows Congress to nullify a final rule issued by a federal agency and prevent a future “substantially similar” rule from being reintroduced without legislation. Fischer’s CRA targets EPA’s ‘‘Control of Air Pollution From New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards,’’ which is set to be fully implemented on March 27.
Thirty-two of Fischer’s colleagues in the Senate signed on, including Senate Minority Whip John Thune, Ted Cruz of Texas, Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Tim Scott of South Carolina.
Object to regulation’s cost
EPA’s final rule seeks to tighten existing Phase 2 greenhouse gas emissions regulations for 2027 model-year engines and to set even more stringent Phase 3 rules starting in 2030. Reuters reported on Thursday that a proposal on the latter is expected next month.
But Fischer’s contingent notes that EPA’s estimates on further cutting nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide emissions fall between $2,568 and $8,304 per vehicle. The group also points out that EPA emissions regulations have cut NOx emissions by 98 to 99% over the past two decades.
“The Biden administration is saddling the trucking industry with an onerous regulation that would jack up vehicle costs and hurt good paying jobs,” Fischer said in a statement released by her office. “During a period of high inflation and supply chain disruptions, the last thing this country needs is more expensive freight costs and fewer truckers.”
School buses are generally built on truck chassis and utilize the same diesel engines as many of their Class 5-7 counterparts. The school transportation industry is also working through a historic nationwide driver shortage of its own.
Reprinted with permission from School Transportation News. Read the original post.
Related:
EPA finalizes new derate schedule, establishes new emissions standards
