Court gives EPA more time to respond GHG legal challenge

An appeals court has granted a request from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a 90-day pause on a legal challenge to the trailer portion of the Phase 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) rules for heavy- and medium-duty trucks.

The Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association (TTMA) opposed the delay to its legal challenge against the final rule; a rule that remains scheduled for implementation starting Jan. 1, 2018.

But in a one-page decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected TTMA’s arguments and ordered all sides in the case to file motions by July 20.

The decision does not address the merits of the case itself. EPA, now headed by Scott Pruitt, asked for the delay so it could further review its options, which could include a change of the rule jointly issued by the agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last year. In response, TTMA said that delay would hurt trailer makers without an equal delay to the rule’s implementation date.

Attempts to contact TTMA for comment on the decision were unsuccessful.