EPA, DOT Submit Draft Rules to Curb Carbon Emissions from Heavy Trucks

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Dept. of Transportation sent draft rules to the White House that would for the first time cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from heavy trucks and buses.

It’s part of the Obama administration's effort to curb tailpipe pollution.

In a Rose Garden speech in May, President Obama announced that the EPA and Transportation Department would craft joint emissions and mileage rules for medium- and heavy-duty trucks covering model years 2014-2018, reports E2 Wire.

EPA regulates emissions, while DOT regulates mileage. On Friday (Aug. 13), the agencies sent proposals to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review, according to OMB’s website.

Details concerning the draft rules are not available, but the Website notes that DOT sent OMB a draft proposal for “Commercial Medium-and Heavy-Duty On-Highway Vehicles and Work Truck Fuel Efficiency Standards.” Meanwhile, the EPA sent the White House a proposal for addressing carbon emissions from heavy-duty trucks and buses.

“This action would set national emission standards under the Clean Air Act to control greenhouse gas emissions from heavy duty trucks and buses. This rulemaking would significantly reduce GHG emissions from future heavy duty vehicles by setting GHG standards that would lead to the introduction of GHG-reducing vehicle and engine technologies,” according to a summary on OMB’s Website.

The two agencies recently finalized joint emissions and mileage standards for cars and light trucks covering model years 2012-2016. Those rules will eventually save 1.8 billion barrels of oil, according to the White House.

They also will require a 30 percent decrease in carbon emissions and a 42 percent increase in auto fuel efficiency to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, reports The New York Times.

Estimates show that large tractor trailers, which emit about a fifth of the greenhouse gases from transportation, can reduce emissions by up to 20 percent and boost fuel efficiency by approximately 25 percent using existing technologies, the administration said.

Environment + Energy Leader