The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are extending for two weeks the comment period for the joint proposed truck fuel efficiency standards and also for NHTSA’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).
The comment period for the proposed rules was to end on Sept. 17; the new deadline is Oct. 1, according to a pre-publication notice signed Aug. 31. This is the second short extension for the proposal, which was announced in June and officially published a month later on July 13.
Among the most recent comments, the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), including the American Truck Dealers division (ATD), in a filing dated Monday called for an extension to Dec. 7, citing “the volume of documents, the complexity of issues, and the 10- year implementation period involved” in the proposal.
“Supportive of continuous improvements in commercial truck fuel economy and greenhouse gas performance, ATD nonetheless is concerned about numerous issues in the proposal that could dramatically impact vehicle cost, vehicle performance, and/or vehicle reliability,” the comment says.
The agencies have also recently held public sessions in Chicago, Long Beach, CA, and at GATS in Dallas. In short, truck makers and trucking companies have said they are generally supportive of the rule, but emphasize the importance of not imposing standards that will rush the adoption of expensive and untested technologies. Environmental groups and air quality regulators, however, have argued that only the most stringent “technology-forcing” requirements and the shortest possible timeline will improve air quality in many high truck-traffic areas of the country.
To review or to comment on “Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles - Phase 2,” go here on regulations.gov.
