Business & Industry Groups Express Shared Support for Clean Air Goals, Urge EPA to Develop Workable Emissions Rule

From bakers and cotton producers to truck manufacturers and dealers, groups join together to express shared interest in working with EPA on effective & affordable emissions rule

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- More than two dozen associations and industry groups have signed a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan expressing interest in working with EPA to develop a strong and “workable” national rule that will “further reduce [nitrogen oxide (NO_X)] emissions [from commercial vehicles], protect American jobs, and result in cleaner air and healthier communities for all.”

The letter comes as EPA is accepting comments through May 16, 2022, on a proposed rule entitled “Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards” as part of the Clean Trucks Plan. The rule aims to reduce the remaining 1-2% of NO_X emissions from commercial vehicles in classes 4-8, which includes school and city transit buses, commercial delivery vehicles, waste removal vehicles, construction and agriculture vehicles, and short- and long-haul freight trailers. Read a one-page overview of the proposed rule.

“The broad array of groups represented on this letter underscores the sweeping impact of EPA’s proposed rule,” said Jed Mandel, President of the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA). “We all agree that further reducing emissions from commercial vehicles is a shared priority and we want to see EPA succeed in that effort. To do so, the final rule must ensure the continued availability of affordable, reliable, and customer-acceptable commercial vehicles that the diverse industries that signed on to the letter – and our nation – depend on.”

The letter encourages EPA to develop a final rule that will promote fleet turnover by facilitating the development of new regulations that result in affordable, durable commercial vehicles that meet customer needs so that fleet owners can confidently replace older, higher-emitting vehicles with newer trucks and buses equipped with modern emissions reduction technology.

“If the new rule does not facilitate the development of affordable, durable commercial vehicles that can meet customer needs, fleet owners are more likely to hold onto their older, higher-emitting vehicles longer – which could result in the loss of good-paying jobs. Most importantly, that also would delay the cleanest trucks and buses from hitting the road and cause further harm in communities near highways, ports, and warehouses that historically and currently suffer from the highest concentration of air pollution,” the letter states.

The groups also urge EPA to ensure its final rule “serves as a bridge, and not a potential barrier, to a zero emissions future.” Manufacturers and industry stakeholders are making enormous investments in zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), and a costly rule could undermine those efforts. The letter advocates for investment in a comprehensive strategy to build a national ZEV infrastructure, including essential recharging/refueling stations, as well as incentives to help fleet owners offset the higher costs of these vehicles.

Organizations that signed the letter include:

• American Bakers Association
• American Beverage Association
• American Bus Association
• American Cotton Producers
• American Truck Dealers (ATD, a division of NADA)
• American Trucking Associations
• Consumer Energy Alliance
• Cummins Inc.
• Daimler Truck North America LLC
• Diesel Technology Forum
• Gases and Welding Distributors Association
• Leather and Hide Council of America
• Meat Import Council of America
• NAFA Fleet Management Association
• Navistar, Inc.
• National Association of Manufacturers
• National Aquaculture Association
• National Cotton Council
• National Cotton Ginners Association
• National Energy & Fuels Institute
• National Private Truck Council (NPTC)
• North American Meat Institute
• NTEA — The Association for the Work Truck Industry
• PACCAR Inc
• Reusable Industrial Packaging Association
• Truck & Engine Manufacturers Association
• Truck Renting and Leasing Association
• Truckload Carriers Association
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Volvo Group North America 

To read the letter, click here. For more information about the rulemaking, visit www.cleantruckfacts.org.

The Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) represents the world’s leading manufacturers of medium-and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, internal combustion engines, and zero-emission powertrains. EMA works with governments and other stakeholders to help the nation achieve its goals of cleaner air and lower greenhouse gas emissions, and to ensure that regulatory standards are technology feasible, cost effective, and successful. By continually improving commercial vehicle and powertrain technologies, EMA’s members are in the forefront of providing clean and efficient products that meet their customers’ business needs and protect the environment.

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Source: Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association