The American Petroleum Institute (API) recently announced that it has raised “significant” concerns with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed GHG emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles.
In a statement posted on its site, API urged the EPA to modify its proposed new tailpipe emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles “to better meet the agency’s goal of reducing emissions while preserving access to affordable and reliable transportation and freight options.”
API said it raised major concerns with several aspects of the proposed rule in comments submitted to the EPA, “including its singular focus on zero-emission vehicle technologies while ignoring the challenges associated with technology and infrastructure preparation”. The API noted in the statement posted on its site that the rule could undermine US energy security by forcing greater reliance on foreign sources for critical raw materials and minerals.
“We share the goal of reducing emissions across the economy, and specifically those from energy production, transportation and use by society,” said the vice president of downstream policy API, Will Hupman, in a statement from the organization.
“While we support technology-neutral federal policies that drive GHG emissions reductions in the transportation sector, we are concerned that this proposal, as well as the EPA’s proposed light- and medium-load GHG rule, lack seriously in terms of reducing carbon emissions from the entire transport sector”, he added.
“EPA’s focus on zero-emissions vehicle solutions, and specifically on battery electric vehicles, ignores fuel-based options and vehicles that could best meet the agency’s goals to rapidly achieve greater transport sector-related emissions reductions across the entire fleet of vehicles (both new and used) at a lower cost,” continued Hupman.
“Significant reductions in carbon emissions can be achieved sooner, and potentially at lower cost, by using proven and available technology,” he said.
When asked for comment on the API statement and the API comments submitted to EPA, an EPA spokesperson told Rigzone, “EPA plans to issue a response to the comments at the record for all comments, in accordance with our requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act and the Clean Air Act.”
“The comment period for this proposal closed on June 16, 2023, and the Agency is reviewing what we have received,” the spokesperson added.
EPA proposal
On April 12, 2023, the EPA announced a proposal for stricter standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty vehicles beginning in the 2027 model year, the organization’s website notes .
The new standards would apply to heavy-duty vocational vehicles, such as delivery trucks, garbage haulers, utility trucks, public transportation, shuttles, school buses, and tractors, such as day cabs and sleeper cabs on tractor-trailer trucks. trailer, the EPA site outlines.
“Specifically, the EPA is proposing a stronger CO2 standards for model year 2027 heavy-duty vehicles that go beyond the current standards that apply under the HD Phase 2 greenhouse gas program,” the EPA site states.
“EPA is also proposing an additional set of CO2 standards for heavy-duty vehicles that would begin to apply in model year 2028, with progressively lower standards each model year through 2032,” he adds.
“This proposed ‘Phase 3’ GHG program maintains the flexible structure created in EPA’s Phase 2 GHG program, which is designed to reflect the diverse nature of heavy industry . As part of this action, the EPA is also proposing to revise its regulations on the prevention of state regulation of locomotives,” he continues.
EPA held a virtual hearing on May 2 and 3 for interested individuals and entities to provide verbal comments on the proposal. Written comments on the proposal were allowed in the rulemaking file until June 16.
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