New EPA Heavy-Duty Emissions Rules Prompt Mixed Reactions

The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday approved strict new limits on greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. 

The Details: The new rules will gradually increase required emissions reductions from model year 2027 to 2032. The EPA says the move will help avoid about one billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2055; the agency recently released similar rules for cars.

Key Quotes: “On behalf of everyone who breathes, thank you,” said Paul Billings, national senior vice president of public policy at the American Lung Association. Not everyone is a fan of the standards, however; Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said the Biden administration “seems dead set on regulating every local mom-and-pop business out of existence with its flurry of unworkable environmental mandates.” Meanwhile, Jon Mills, a spokesman for Cummins, said there would be “challenges across our industry” to reach the EPA’s “ambitious goal.”

How the Media Covered It: While some left-rated outlets like The Verge (Lean Left bias) focused support for the rules, others like The New York Times (Lean Left bias) featured truckers who voiced concerns. Some coverage from the right focused more squarely on these concerns, with Fox News (Right bias) writing, “The trucking industry warns these stringent new measures could have far-reaching economic repercussions.” Conversely, the Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) focused mainly on describing the new rules. Meanwhile, trucking-focused sources like Truckers News (Center bias), FreightWaves (Not Rated), and The Trucker (Not Rated) covered the rules and reactions of truckers.