skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, November 24, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump suffers first defeat but as always doubles down for the next fight; From Ohio to Azerbaijan: How COP29 could shape local farming; Funding boosts 'green' projects in Meadville, PA; VA apprenticeships bridge skills gaps, offer career stability.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump has a new pick for Attorney General, his incoming "border czar" warns local Democratic officials not to impede mass deportation, and the House passes legislation that could target any nonprofit group accused of supporting terrorism.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The health of rural Americans is getting renewed attention from the CDC, updated data could help protect folks from flash floods like those devastated in Appalachia, and Native American Tribes want to play a key role in the nation's energy future.

EPA Could Restore States’ Authority to Regulate Tailpipe Emissions

play audio
Play

Monday, February 21, 2022   

States will soon be able to set their own tailpipe-emissions limits stricter than the federal government's, thanks to an expected rollback of a Trump-era policy.

The Environmental Protection Agency says California and other states will be allowed to set separate emissions standards once it reinstates a waiver that allows them to do so.

A former engineer and policy advisor for the EPA's Office of Transportation & Air Quality, Jeff Alson, said when California first changed its standards during the Obama administration, other states took the lead.

He said he expects a similar trend once the rule is reinstated.

"Between 10 and 20 of the other states end up adopting the California standards," said Alson.

West Virginia is one of a handful of states that doesn't require vehicle emissions testing.

A 2021 study found emissions from light-duty trucks, including Sport Utility Vehicles, were responsible for more than 2,400 premature deaths. The study found all states experienced sizable public health impacts from vehicle emissions.

Alson, who is now an Environmental Protection Network member, added that large trucks traveling across the country log hundreds of thousands of miles each year and are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions.

"They put on so many miles that, even though the numbers of these trucks are small compared to cars, the pollution is large," said Alson.

Alson said he believes the decision will benefit communities' local air quality and public health.

"I think this announcement is a big deal," said Alson. "And should give everybody hope that the U.S. could once again become a leader in this important area, to try to protect the planet."

Last December, the EPA announced new rules for tailpipe pollution for 2023 through 2026-model vehicles. New cars will be required to average 55 miles per gallon starting in 2026.




get more stories like this via email
more stories
The smoking rate among adults in Maryland is 9.6%, much lower than the national average of 12.9%. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A new report on lung cancer by the American Lung Association showed Maryland has quite a bit of room to improve diagnoses and treatment but experts sa…


Social Issues

play sound

La Niña is bringing a cooler, wetter winter to Oregon and likely driving up heating bills as systems work harder. This is the third year of …

Environment

play sound

The number of pedestrians and bicyclists killed on roadways in the U.S. has nearly doubled in the past 12 years and a New Mexico researcher wants to …


Social Issues

play sound

CLARIFICATION: We updated language to clarify the timing for when the study's authors began tracking certain outcome measures for children within the …

Health and Wellness

play sound

By Kyla Russell for WISH-TV.Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the WISH-TV-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service C…

Social Issues

play sound

A recent study from Florida Atlantic University highlights a concerning rise in alcohol-related deaths across the United States, with mortality rates …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021