New EPA standards may put small trucking companies out of business, says OOIDA
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is slamming the EPA over what they’re defining as “unrealistic regulations” for the trucking industry.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a federal agency of the United States government that is responsible for protecting human health and the environment. Its mission is to protect the public and the environment from the harmful effects of pollution and to ensure that all Americans have clean air, land, and water. To achieve this mission, the EPA develops and enforces regulations that set standards for various forms of pollution, such as air pollution, water pollution, and hazardous waste.
In the first round of trucking regulations since 2001, the EPA issued new guidelines on December 20th that will require truck manufacturers to comply with nitrogen oxide standards that are 80% less than the current levels. Once published in the Federal Register, this rule will go into effect in sixty days.
The act is one that its critics are saying is outlandish and too expensive for small companies to foot the bill overnight.
In a significant ruling, a federal judge in California rejected a challenge against the state's independent contractor law, AB5, from the trucking industry.