US House Votes to Strike Down EPA Rules for Heavy Goods Vehicle Emissions

The White House said President Joe Biden would veto the measure, which is now on his desk after being passed by the Senate in April. She said the EPA rule “reduces pollution, improves public health, and advances environmental justice.”

Republicans say the new rules, finalized in December, are too difficult to implement, will increase supply chain costs and make trucks too expensive for small business owners.

Republican Senator Deb Fischer said “every American consumer will feel the impact of this rule and its price increases.”

Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone said “the Republican bill would have dire consequences for the EPA’s ability to fulfill its mission to protect the health and well-being of citizens from hazardous pollution.”

Under the Congressional Review Act, a simple majority vote in both houses of Congress can override recently finalized rules, but that action must be approved by the president.

The standards reinforce annual emission limits. This is the first update to the truck air cleanliness standards in over twenty years, and they are 80% stricter than the current standards.

The EPA estimates that by 2045, the regulations will reduce the number of premature deaths by 2,900 per year, the number of school days lost for children by 1.1 million and $29 billion. net profit per year.

“This is really important, especially to protect the health of the 72 million people who live near highway freight routes in America,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan told Reuters in December.

In April, the EPA proposed further pollution reductions for large vehicles.

According to this proposal, the EPA estimates that 50% of vehicles such as buses and garbage trucks could be electric vehicles (EVs) by 2032, along with 35% of new short-haul freight tractors and 25% new long-haul freight tractors. The rules for medium vehicles are expected to reduce emissions by 44% by 2032 compared to 2026 standards.