ATA Asks EPA to Delay Emissions Rule
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American Trucking Associations is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to delay for four years implementation of the of nitrogen oxides emissions limits for heavy-duty trucks.
The new limits are set to take effect in 2027. ATA is seeking a delay until 2031.
In an Aug. 13 letter obtained by Transport Topics, ATA said, “The heavy-duty NOx rule imposes substantial compliance costs and operational burdens at a time when the trucking industry is already contending with historically difficult market conditions. With prolonged weakness in freight demand and inflationary cost pressures, the rule’s 2027 implementation timeline threatens to intensify strain across our industry. We respectfully request that EPA delay implementation of the heavy-duty NOx rule until 2031.”
The federation also asked EPA to conduct a “full reconsideration of current heavy-duty NOx standards, allowing for a comprehensive review and public comment on key provisions, including NOx stringency levels, warranty obligations, useful life requirements, and associated technical elements.” ATA suggested EPA would need to finalize this review and rulemaking process by the end of 2026 to ensure engine manufacturers have sufficient time for implementation by 2031.
“This implementation delay will allow heavy-duty truck engine manufacturers to continue providing reliable and affordable engine products that meet today’s stringent 0.20 g/bhp-hr NOx standard,” it noted. “We also believe that delaying the rule will provide an economic lifeline for the trucking industry, while ensuring continued emissions reductions.”
ATA President Chris Spear. (Camille Toussaint/American Trucking Associations)
ATA stressed that truck makers have already made significant gains in emissions reduction. “Today’s modern trucks produce 99% fewer NOx and particulate matter emissions than those from previous generations, and our industry remains committed to continued air quality improvements,” it said.
State associations on the letter included the California Trucking Association, Colorado Motor Carriers Association, Florida Trucking Association, Georgia Motor Trucking Association, Hawaii Transportation Association and the Idaho Trucking Association, among others. Also signing the letter — which was addressed to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin — were the National Tank Truck Carriers and the Truckload Carriers Association.
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Earlier this year, EPA announced a review of its Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles rules as well as its Heavy-Duty [nitrogen oxides] rule. The agency described the Biden-era “Clean Trucks Plan” as “problematic,” arguing it “results in significant costs that will make the products our trucks deliver, like food and other household goods, more expensive.”
“While accomplishing EPA’s core mission of protecting the environment, the agency is committed to fulfilling President [Donald] Trump’s promise to unleash American energy, lower costs for Americans, revitalize the American auto industry, restore the rule of law, and give power back to states to make their own decisions,” the agency said at the time.
Zeldin. (Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press)
The Biden-era NOx rule, published in the Federal Register Jan. 24, 2023, maintained that the limits adopted would “result in the greatest degree of emission reduction achievable starting in model year 2027, giving appropriate consideration to costs and other factors, which is consistent with EPA’s statutory authority under Clean Air Act.”
In its letter, ATA stressed that the broader supply chain would benefit from more time.
“An implementation delay will provide much-needed near-term certainty, and a full reconsideration of the heavy-duty standards will help ensure the trucking industry’s ability to affordably deliver our nation’s freight in a safe and efficient way. Without these actions, especially under today’s challenging economic conditions, an unsustainable burden will be placed on fleets and equipment manufacturers alike.”
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