Trucking news and briefs for Monday, May 8, 2023:
The Environmental Protection Agency, in an effort to support development of potential funding programs under the Inflation Reduction Act, is asking for public input about the availability of zero-emission technologies in the heavy-duty vehicle and port sectors.
The EPA last week held public hearings regarding its proposed Phase 3 greenhouse-gas regulations for heavy-duty trucks and hear from a number of commenters in the trucking and truck manufacturing industries that, while they support EPA’s overall goal of reducing emissions, the infrastructure for zero-emission trucks is not currently adequate enough to meet the Phase 3 proposal.
EPA said it “already has considerable information about the availability of certain types of [zero-emission] technologies,”, but the agency is inviting public comment so it will have “the most comprehensive and current information available.”
Specifically, EPA said it is interested in comments about the availability, market price and performance of zero-emission trucks and port equipment, electric charging and other fueling infrastructure needs for zero-emission technologies in the near term (1-3 years, and 1-5 years for port equipment), and whether the components of the systems are manufactured in the United States.
The agency said the Build America Buy America Act (BABA) requires iron, steel, manufactured products and construction materials used in infrastructure projects funded by federal financial assistance to be produced in the United States.
“While BABA provides the opportunity for EPA to issue certain waivers to these requirements, approval depends on many factors, including the price and availability of domestically sourced materials and products.”
