The EPA estimates by 2045, the rule will result in up to 2,900 fewer premature deaths annually, 1.1 million fewer lost school days for children and $29 billion in annual net benefits.
“It’s really important, especially for protecting the health of the 72 million people living near truck freight routes in America,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan told Reuters in December.
Under the Congressional Review Act, a simple majority vote in both chambers of Congress can reverse recently finalized rules, but that action must be approved by the president.
In April, the EPA in April proposed a new round of pollution cuts for larger vehicles. It estimates that EVs could comprise 50 percent of buses, garbage trucks and similar vehicles by 2032, along with 35 percent of new short-haul freight tractors and 25 percent of new long-haul freight tractors. Medium-duty vehicle rules are projected to cut emissions by 44 percent by 2032 over 2026 standards.
The EPA also proposed in April cutting light duty passenger car and truck emissions by 56 percent over 2026 levels. EPA estimates would result in 60 percent of new vehicles by 2030 being electric and 67 percent by 2032. That proposal has drawn concerns from major automakers and Republicans.
