Release date: 7/20/2018
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein today announced the filing of a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over EPA’s recent attempt to reopen the so-called “dirty truck loophole.” The dirty truck loophole attempts to overturn the 2016 Glider Rule, which requires old truck engines installed in new truck bodies to meet the same emissions standards that apply to new engines. The Glider Rule also limits manufacturers to 300 gliders per company. The Glider Rule helps protect our air from the excessive smog and pollution emitted by outdated engines. Without the Glider Rule, thousands of additional trucks will be sold that appear new, but pollute 20 to 40 times more than trucks with current engines.
“The dirty truck loophole pollutes our air, damages our environment, and puts North Carolina companies who play by the rules with their cleaner truck engines at a disadvantage,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “I will continue to fight for the Glider Rule to be fully reinstated.”
Attorney General Stein and a coalition of 16 other state attorneys general filed the lawsuit yesterday evening following a letter sent to the EPA on July 13, 2018, demanding an immediate withdrawal of EPA’s action suspending the Glider Rule.
Emissions from high-polluting trucks are linked to asthma, low birth weight, infant mortality, and lung cancer. In North Carolina and elsewhere, the trucking industry has already made substantial investments to upgrade their fleets to reduce pollution from emissions. Reopening the dirty truck loophole would force these companies to compete on an uneven playing field against unregulated, high-polluting “glider” manufacturers who avoid such investments and simply put old, dirty engines in new truck bodies. The high-polluting glider trucks make up a small portion – no more than one-tenth – of all trucks sold, but they produce a large portion – even a majority – of all truck pollution.
Joining Attorney General Stein in filing this lawsuit are the States of California, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, along with the District of Columbia.
A copy of the petition for review can be found here.
A copy for the emergency motion can be found here.
A copy of North Carolina’s supporting declaration can be found here, beginning on page 135.
Contact:
Laura Brewer (919) 716-6484
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