Republican lawmakers send letter to EPA in opposition of glider kit proposal

April 24, 2018

Mark Schremmer

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Several members of Congress are continuing efforts to convince the Environmental Protection Agency to stop a repeal of emissions standards on glider kits.

A March 27 letter, signed by Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C.; Rep. Larry Bucshon, R-Ind.; and eight others, was the third in a series sent to the EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt regarding the proposed repeal.

“We stand with you and welcome your continued efforts to streamline environmental regulations and repeal onerous and overreaching rules that the previous administration pushed through which hurt American industry,” the Republican lawmakers wrote. “However, we write to raise concerns with the EPA’s proposed rule for repeal of emissions requirements for glider vehicles, glider engines, and glider kits. We believe that repealing those requirements will undermine the significant investments made by United States job creators and manufacturers.”

The two other letters sent in March were signed by Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Sens. Tom Carper, D-Del., and Tom Udall, D-N.M.

In November, the EPA proposed a rule to repeal emissions requirements for glider vehicles, glider engines, and glider kits. The EPA said the proposal was based on an interpretation of the Clean Air Act under which “glider kits would not be treated as incomplete new motor vehicles.” Under the proposed interpretation, EPA would lack the authority to regulate the gliders.

Simply put, the EPA said that gliders aren’t new trucks and that they shouldn’t be regulated like new trucks.

The Republican lawmakers said the repeal of the glider kit regulations would go against the intent of the Clean Air Act.

“Regulations issued under the Clean Air Act must not exceed the authority Congress has provided. We believe the EPA still has the ability to work within this authority of the Clean Air Act to implement clear, concise, and straightforward rules regarding emissions from gliders.”

The comment period on the proposed repeal ended Jan. 5. The EPA received more than 24,000 comments. Many truck drivers and members of the glider kit industry spoke favorably of the rule, while many environmental groups and the American Trucking Associations opposed the repeal.

The Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association commented in favor of the repeal, saying that glider kits offer small-business truck drivers a more affordable and reliable alternative to increasingly expensive new vehicles.