The federal government plans to roll back 15 years of vehicle emission rules. Truck drivers say this will help make cleaner air more practical.
On Thursday, Aug. 21, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association shared its views at an Environmental Protection Agency hearing. The EPA is taking public feedback on its plan to withdraw the landmark endangerment finding.
Finalized in 2009, the EPA’s endangerment finding stated that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare. It served as the legal basis for strict vehicle emission rules in subsequent years.
In July, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced at a Kenworth dealership that the agency will rescind the endangerment finding. If that happens, it could pull the rug out from under controversial emission rules, including the “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3.” This rule sets strict standards, requiring 25% of sleeper cab tractors to have zero direct emission by 2032.
In formal comments, OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh threw support behind the withdrawal of the endangerment finding. He welcomed the rollback of “nearly 20 years of overly burdensome emissions regulations.”
“These rules have put truckers out of work, hurt small-business competitiveness and discouraged owner-operators from purchasing new equipment,” Pugh said.
The Phase 3 regulation is one of those rules. Pugh called it “a blatant attempt to force consumers into purchasing electric vehicles.” He noted concerns about costs, mileage range, battery weight, charging time and availability.
Pugh pointed out OOIDA’s history of persistently warning the federal government about implementing “impractical emissions timelines” without addressing those concerns. In 2018, he discussed the Clean Trucks Plan with EPA leadership, a sign that the agency was willing to work with the trucking industry. Instead, the trucking industry got what would become the Phase 3 rule.
“After a few bumps in the road, it seems like we are getting back on track to meeting those goals that will result in more reliable and affordable new vehicles,” Pugh said. “In turn, this will achieve cleaner air for everyone.”
Earlier this year, Zeldin indicated the EPA would reconsider the Phase 3 truck emission regulation. OOIDA President Todd Spencer has called the rule an “assault on small-business truck drivers.”
“Small-business truckers make up 96% of trucking and could be regulated out of existence if the current standards were to be implemented,” Spencer said. “Mom-and-pop trucking businesses would be suffocated by the sheer cost and operational challenges of effectively mandating zero-emission trucks. Vehicle reliability and affordability are top priorities for OOIDA members, and we have yet to see proof that electric commercial motor vehicles are a practical option for most trucking businesses considering the price tag and lack of charging infrastructure. We commend EPA Administrator Zeldin on his realistic approach to emissions regulations. We will be working with EPA and Congress on a path forward that prioritizes listening to the men and women of the trucking industry.”
The EPA heard from hundreds of speakers during a four-day public hearing marathon. The vast majority spoke against the EPA’s plan to rescind the endangerment finding. As of Friday, Aug. 22, more than 70,000 comments had been received, most of them mass comment campaigns. Comments are being accepted through Sept. 22 and can be submitted here. LL
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