EPA says millions will benefit as result of new emission standards for heavy-duty trucks

Dec. 22—New emissions rules for heavy-duty trucks will drive improvements in air quality, notably reductions in ozone-creating nitrogen dioxide and soot that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says endangers people's health, a top Biden official claimed this week.

The new rules, finalized Tuesday, will particularly benefit those who live along highways, said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, who added this is just the first in a series of actions toward a zero-emission future.

The heavy-duty truck industry said the new requirements will be difficult to meet and are likely to impact the price of new trucks.

Colorado earlier adopted its own clean fleet program that links truck emissions to California's emissions regulations, and the Polis administration welcomed federal action that "builds upon" the state's framework.

The EPA estimates 72 million people live within 650 feet of a truck freight route.

"EPA is taking significant action to protect public health, especially the health of 72 million people living near truck freight routes in America, including our most vulnerable populations in historically overburdened communities," Regan said in a news release on Tuesday. "But we're not stopping there. This is just the first action under EPA's Clean Trucks Plan to pave the way toward a zero-emission future."

The new rules, which updated the Clean Air Act standards for heavy duty trucks for the first time in more than 20 years, will apply to the 2027 vehicle model year. Under the new regime, manufacturers will have to design new emissions controls for engines that include cutting nitrogen dioxide and soot by more than 50% when compared to the previous standards.

Colorado is among the states that has fully embraced the zero-carbon concept, arguing the transition away from fossil-fired energy will benefit the environment and improve residents' health. Critics called the quick transition shortsighted and costly, pointing to the energy crisis in Europe as a self-inflicted wound that results from a policy that picks which energy source to pursue rather than ensuring a menu of abundant of energy sources.

In June 2020, Gov. Jared Polis signed a memorandum of understanding between California and fifteen other states, pledging to "foster a self-sustaining market for zero emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles through the existing Multi-State ZEV Task Force."

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"Here in Colorado, we've released a pragmatic plan for increasing reliability, decreasing cost, and reducing emissions in the medium and heavy duty trucking sector, and we welcome action at the federal level that builds upon this important work," said Melissa Dworkin, spokesperson for Gov. Jared Polis. "The right kind of national action can help decrease the costs associated with moving goods across our country and will help build the market for cost-effective low-emission trucks, and achieve significant air pollution emissions reductions and cost savings nationwide."

In the last 12 years, control of diesel emissions has come a long way, experts said.

"The current generation new diesel trucks are more fuel-efficient and emit less than 1/60th the emissions of 2000 models. They're already near zero emission for both oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter. Of all commercial trucks in operation today, 53% are of this newest generation, a number that has steadily grown since 2010," said Executive Director Allen Schaeffer of the Diesel Technology Forum, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to promoting a greater understanding of the benefits of advanced diesel technology.

The new federal rules require manufacturers to provide warranties that will ensure the vehicles will stay compliant with the new emissions standards up to 4.5 times longer. One part of the rules requires manufacturers to devise ways to prevent operators from tampering with or disabling computer-controlled emissions equipment.

At the same time, manufacturers will need to design their engines so that operators will be encouraged to perform ongoing maintenance to emission control systems to ensure they are working properly, "without creating a level of burden and corresponding frustration for operators that could increase the risk of operators completely disabling emission control systems."

The EPA isn't stopping at semi-trailer tractors and other heavy-duty engines. The agency said it is just step one of three regulatory updates that will tighten emissions regulations for both diesel and gasoline powered light-and-medium duty vehicles, including pickup trucks, beginning with the 2027 model year.

The rule also applies to a broad spectrum of other pollution sources as well, the EPA said.

"Additional amendments apply to gasoline refueling facilities and for manufacturers of all sizes and types of motor vehicles, stationary engines, aircraft and aircraft engines, and various types of nonroad engines, vehicles, and equipment," the rules said.

EPA insisted that the benefits outweigh the cost. The agency estimated that the total costs to consumers for the heavy truck program range from $3.9 billion in 2027 to $4.7 billion in 2045. The total monetary benefits — by way of reduced ozone and particulate pollution calculated by the EPA — is estimated to range from $10 to $33 billion.

"We estimate that the final rule will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from heavy-duty vehicles in 2040 by more than 40 percent; by 2045, a year by which most of the regulated fleet will have turned over, heavy-duty nitrogen oxide emissions will be almost 50 percent lower than they would have been without this action," the EPA said.

Most engine manufacturers, truck dealers, fleets, and other members of the heavy-duty industry say the new regulations will be "extremely challenging to meet," particularly for the largest heavy-duty engines, and could have large impacts on the purchase price of new trucks, according to comments received by the EPA as part of the rule making process.