E.P.A. Aims to Reduce Truck Pollution, and Avert Tougher State Controls

“A strong and resilient trucking industry is imperative to maintaining a strong and resilient economy,” Mr. Wheeler said Monday morning at a livestock exchange in Marshall, Va., surrounded by leaders of the trucking lobby. “Through this initiative, we will modernize heavy duty truck engines, improving their efficiency and reducing their emissions, which will lead to a healthier environment.”

Paul Billings, a senior vice president at the American Lung Association, said no one from his group or other major health or environmental groups had been invited to the event, although the Lung Association has led the lobbying push to limit nitrogen dioxide from trucks.

“Trucks remain a major source of pollution that creates smog, and smog is linked with coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and can cause asthma and premature death,” he said.

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The opening of the regulatory process is in keeping with Mr. Trump’s efforts to have it both ways on the environment. Polls show that independent voters in their 20s and 30s are increasingly concerned about environmental issues, and even as the president celebrates his rollbacks of environmental rules, he has insisted that he believes in a clean environment, frequently citing his desire for “the cleanest air” and “crystal-clean water.” In a White House speech last summer, Mr. Trump sought to recast his record by describing “America’s environmental leadership” under his command.

In other areas, at Mr. Trump’s directive, the E.P.A. has sought to weaken or undo regulations on car and truck emissions. The agency is rolling back an Obama-era rule that had limited planet-warming carbon dioxide pollution from vehicle tailpipes.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/climate/trump-truck-pollution.html?emc=rss&partner=rss