U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines’ effort to overturn President Biden’s aggressive EPA regulation on heavy-duty vehicle emissions passed the U.S. Senate this week by a vote of 50-49. President Biden’s regulation would devastate Montana’s trucking industry by raising costs for Montanans while they are already facing sky-high inflation and incentivize older, less efficient trucks to stay on the road.
“As Montanans struggle to keep up with rising costs and the supply chain remains strained, the last thing we need is heavy-handed regulations that will raise freight costs and put good-paying Montana trucking jobs in jeopardy. I will always stand up against President Biden’s woke, green agenda that threatens Montana truckers and families’ livelihoods and I look forward to seeing House Republicans do the same,”Daines said.
Daines helped introduce the bill with Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) in February.
Background:
The EPA finalized its rule on new emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles on December 20, 2022. The rule’s new standards cover nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other air pollutants including particulate matter (PM), hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide (CO). The rule would also change requirements regarding emission control systems and emission-related warranties.
The EPA estimated the technology required to meet the new rule’s standards will cost between $2,568 and $8,304 per vehicle. The American Truck Dealers Association estimates it is more likely a $42,000 increase per truck. In total, the EPA projects the associated costs of this new regulation on the country could reach $55 billion over the lifetime of the program.
The EPA’s regulation would be challenging to implement and make new, compliant trucks cost-prohibitive. By increasing the cost of a new truck, the regulation actually incentivizes keeping older, higher-emitting trucks in service longer. It would also likely force many “mom & pop” commercial trucking operations out of business while encouraging larger trucking operations to pass these higher costs onto consumers.
Adding new financial burdens on the trucking industry would increase the cost of any product transported by trucks, including food, clothing, and other commodities.
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Contact: Matt Lloyd, Rachel Dumke, Blake Kernen