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Transportation and Climate

Regulations & Standards

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What Others Are Saying

EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are taking coordinated steps to enable the production of a new generation of clean vehicles, through reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improved fuel use from on-road vehicles and engines, from the smallest cars to the largest trucks.

The agencies finalized standards to extend the light-duty vehicle GHG National Program for model years 2017-2025.

The agencies have adopted first-ever GHG regulations for heavy-duty engines and vehicles.

These efforts are being carried out under requests from President Obama, and are supported by a broad range of stakeholders, including the State of California and major automobile and truck manufacturers. For more information, you may read the related presidential announcements and letters of support.

EPA is also responsible for developing and implementing regulations to ensure that transportation fuel sold in the United States contains a minimum volume of renewable fuel. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) regulations were developed in collaboration with refiners, renewable fuel producers, and many other stakeholders. The RFS program lays the foundation for achieving significant reductions of GHG emissions from the use of renewable fuels, for reducing imported petroleum, and for encouraging the development and expansion of our nation's renewable fuels sector.

Related Actions

  • In June 2009, the Administrator granted a Clean Air Act waiver of preemption to California. This waiver will allow California to implement its own greenhouse gas emission standards for motor vehicles beginning with model year 2009.
  • On December 7, 2009, the Administrator promulgated an action with the distinct finding that the current and projected concentrations of the six key well-mixed greenhouse gases--carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) -- in the atmosphere threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations. This is referred to as the endangerment finding.
  • The Administrator also found that the greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines contribute to the atmospheric concentrations of these key greenhouse gases and hence to the threat of climate change. This is referred to as the cause or contribute finding.

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