The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signaled Thursday it intends to re-evaluate truck and trailer emissions standards enacted by the Obama administration that are scheduled to take effect in the coming years.
EPA said in a brief announcement Thursday that it will “revisit” the so-called Phase 2 emissions standards related to trailers and glider kits, citing “significant issues raised by stakeholders in the trailer and glider industry.”
The Phase 2 rule, finalized last year, requires truck, engine and trailer manufacturers to make significant gains in boosting tractor-trailer fuel economy as a means to cut industry emissions of greenhouse gases. The standards are scheduled to be phased in over the next decade, requiring a roughly 25 percent reduction in CO2 emission and fuel consumption of trucks and trailers built in 2027 compared to 2018 model-year vehicles.
EPA’s intentions to alter the rule apply only to the portions related to glider vehicles and trailers.
“In light of the significant issues raised, the agency has decided to revisit the Phase 2 trailer and glider provisions,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “We intend to initiate a rulemaking process that incorporates the latest technical data and is wholly consistent with our authority under the Clean Air Act.”
Pruitt did not provide a timeline as to when the agency would begin or complete the rulemaking.
The Phase 2 rule was the first time the EPA called on trailer manufacturers to play a part in reducing trucking emissions. The Truck and Trailer Manufacturers Association filed a lawsuit against the rule last year, arguing EPA lacks the authority to regulate trailer makers.
