The EPA could reportedly make some changes to its “roadmap” for the upcoming Phase 2 trucking GHG rules.
At a Technology & Maintenance Council’s fall meeting this week, EPA, truck and trailer manufacturers and fleet owners participated in a session to discuss the “implementation roadmap” of the final rule, according to Heavy Duty Trucking.
Matthew Spears, executive director of EPA’s Heavy Duty Diesel Program, confirmed the rules will require advanced aerodynamics and combustion technology, and more use of low-rolling-resistance tires and tire-inflation devices.
- There were some key takeaways from the session, including indications that:
- The California Air Resources Board might again go its own way and make the rules stricter;
- There’s a “mismatch” between model years of trucks and engines, which must be resolved;
The rules are focused on regulating manufacturers, but emissions will be tested by state and local authorities when equipment is in the hands of owners; and
In response to a reporter’s question about the model-year mismatch – meaning trucks enter model years many months before engines, perhaps leading to enforcement confusion – Spears said EPA is looking at “several approaches” to resolve it.
Spears also answered another question concerning glide kits. He said the agency doesn’t want to ban them, but wants high-mileage, glider-kitted road tractors to use diesels meeting current emissions limits.
Canada is expected to establish its own GHG emission rules. CTA, however, CTA has made it clear that regulators need to ensure that equipment imported into Canada is tested and proven to operate in specific Canadian marketplaces and unique operating conditions.
The comment period for the Phase 2 proposals ends Oct. 1, and Spears said the final rulemaking would be announced the second quarter of next year.
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