US court overturns emissions rules for heavy truck trailers

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By David Shepardson and Sebastien Malo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court overturned greenhouse gas emissions rules for heavy truck trailers on Friday, ruling that two government agencies had exceeded their authority.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) established in 2016 the rules for the first time that trailer manufacturers adopt fuel-saving technologies such as side skirts and automatic tire pressure systems. An industry group challenged the rule, and the court rejected it pending review.
The administration of then-President Barack Obama said it was important to regulate the fuel efficiency of commercial tractor trailer trailers, “because large tractor trailers account for 60% of heavy vehicle fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.”
If the court ruled in favor of the trailer regulations, then “the NHTSA can regulate something similar that would affect bicycle supports, roof cargo transport or the fuel efficiency of a vehicle.” The court added: “The NHTSA can regulate by trailers that pull tractors, just like the EPA. But neither the NHTSA nor the EPA can regulate the trailers themselves.”
The EPA said in 2016 that one-third of the reductions in tractor trailer emissions could only be achieved through the regulation of trailer equipment and design.
The EPA and NHTSA did not immediately comment.
The Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association (TTMA) filed a lawsuit to block the rules, saying it was still reading the verdict and did not immediately comment. The group argued that the rules were inappropriate because the trailers do not consume fuel because they are not self-propelled.
TTMA said earlier that its members, who manufacture 90 percent of U.S. truck trailers, would face “uncollectible compliance costs,” including for reconfiguring assembly lines.
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