Published in the November 2016 issue of Washington Update
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on behalf of the Department of Transportation, are establishing rules for a comprehensive Phase 2 Heavy-Duty National Program. The program will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fuel consumption from new on-road medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and engines. NHTSA's fuel consumption standards and EPA's carbon dioxide emission standards are tailored to each of four regulatory categories of heavy-duty vehicles:
- Combination tractors
- Trailers used in combination with those tractors
- Heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans
- Vocational vehicles.
The rule also includes separate standards for the engines that power combination tractors and vocational vehicles. Certain requirements for control of GHG emissions are exclusive to the EPA program. These include EPA's hydrofluorocarbon standards to control leakage from air conditioning systems in vocational vehicles and EPA's nitrous oxide and methane standards for heavy-duty engines. Additionally, NHTSA is addressing misalignment between the Phase 1 EPA GHG standards and the NHTSA fuel efficiency standards to virtually eliminate the differences. This action also includes certain EPA-specific provisions relating to control of emissions of pollutants other than GHGs. EPA is finalizing non-GHG emission standards relating to the use of diesel auxiliary power units installed in new tractors. In addition, EPA is clarifying the classification of natural gas engines and other gaseous-fueled heavy-duty engines. EPA is also finalizing technical amendments to EPA rules that apply to emissions of non-GHG pollutants from light-duty motor vehicles, marine diesel engines, and other nonroad engines and equipment. Finally, EPA is requiring that engines from donor vehicles installed in new glider vehicles meet the emission standards applicable in the year of assembly of the new glider vehicle, including all applicable standards for criteria pollutants, with limited exceptions for small businesses and for other special circumstances.
Agency Contact: Mr. Tad Wysor (734) 214-4332.
PUBLISHED: 10/25/2016; ACTION: FR; REFERENCE: 81 FR 73477; REG: 40 CFR Parts 9, 22, 85, 86, 600, 1033, 1036, 1037, 1039, 1042, 1043, 1065, 1066, and 1068. 49 CFR Parts 523, 534, 535, and 538.
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