EPA, NHTSA to Seek Comments on GHG
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will jointly publish a notice in the Federal Register on March 2 seeking comment on their proposal to tighten greenhouse-gas emissions for trucks.
The joint proposal governs trucks, including combination tractors, and commercial trailers. The heavy-duty category includes all vehicles with a gross weight rating of at least 8,500 pounds, as well as the engines that power them. The more stringent standards would phase in from 2021 to 2027.
The agencies are seeking comment on the greenhouse-gas emissions model (GEM) P2v2.1, default gasoline engine fuel map for use in GEM, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Powertrain data, the Southwest Research Institute program update on cycle average mapping data and the Final Southwest Research Institute report to NHTSA, to name a few.
Comments will accepted for 30 days after the notice is published.
The Phase 2 GHG proposal covering heavy- and medium-duty trucks issued in June generated 140,449 responses from citizens and organizations through the close of the initial comment period Oct. 1.
According to the agencies, the proposed Phase 2 program, is based not only on available technologies but also on utilization of technologies under development or not yet widely deployed while providing significant lead time to assure adequate time to develop, test, and phase in these controls.
The proposal also would seek to develop standards for trailers.
As part of the Climate Action Plan announced in June 2013, President Obama directed EPA and NHTSA to set the next round of standards to reduce GHG emissions and improve fuel efficiency for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and engines. More than 70% of the oil used in the United States and 28% of GHG emissions come from the transportation sector.
