Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Aug. 9, 2021:
President Joe Biden in an executive order issued Thursday, Aug. 5, called on the Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen its emissions regulations for 2027 and later model year light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
For medium- and heavy-duty trucks, specifically, Biden asks the EPA to establish new greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty engines and vehicles to begin as soon as model year 2030, along with new fuel efficiency standards for the same model year. Biden requests that EPA have a rulemaking with new GHG standards finalized no later than July 2024.
The order also requests that the EPA begin working on a rulemaking under the Clean Air Act to establish new oxides for nitrogen standards for heavy-duty engines and vehicles beginning with model year 2027 and extending through and including at least model year 2030. This includes the EPA potentially updating the existing greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks though at least 2029.
Biden wants EPA to publish a proposed rulemaking for new NOx standards by January 2022 and a final rule by December 2022.
The order also calls for similar updated regulations for passenger cars and light-duty trucks.
