Trucking news and briefs for Friday, July 21, 2023:
Congressmen Doug LaMalfa (R-California) and Chris Pappas (D-New Hampshire) led 30 other members of Congress in sending a letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider its new Phase 3 Heavy-Duty Truck Rule.
Part of EPA’s Phase 3 proposal is to electrify 25% of new long-haul trucks by 2032, as well as 35% of new short-haul regional tractors and 50% of vocational vehicles. The proposal also reopened the “Phase 2” GHG emissions regs to make them more stringent for model year 2027 trucks, and promulgates new emissions standards beginning with the 2028 model year.
Groups of U.S. Senators and Representatives have previously penned letters to EPA Chief Michael S. Regan asking his agency to withdraw the rule, to no avail so far. The latest letter is signed by 31 representatives (27 Republicans and four Democrats) and one Senator (Mike Braun, Republican of Indiana).
[Related: CTA's Shimoda: Start working on CARB regulation requirements now]
In the latest letter, the members of Congress said they “have heard from constituents concerned that this rule will fundamentally transform the truck industry and should more fully take into consideration the affordability of future heavy-duty trucks and the ability of our nation’s commercial charging infrastructure to support the upcoming demand in its effort to drive modernization of America’s aging truck fleet.”
The letter criticizes EPA for bypassing the advance notice of proposed rulemaking stage, in addition to denying requests to extend the comment period on its notice of proposed rulemaking.
