Obama tried to close a big pollution loophole. Trump wants to keep it.
The EPA is using a shady study to carve out a massive pollution exemption for dirty glider trucks.
By Umair Irfan Feb 17, 2018, 7:00am EST
The Environmental Protection Agency is trying to protect a loophole that allows vastly more pollution than is typically permitted from heavy-duty commercial vehicles — all in the name of helping out a Trump supporter.
At issue are glider kits, new trucks that come without an engine or transmission so they “glide.” This allows you to customize the powertrain — the engine, transmission, and drive axle — often with refurbished hardware, thereby saving around 25 percent of the cost of a new, complete truck.
“This process creates a reliable, more fuel efficient truck that requires less maintenance, yields less downtime and has the safety features and amenities owners have come to expect in trucks on the road today,” according to Fitzgerald Glider Kits, the largest assembler of glider kits in the United States.
Glider trucks were originally used as a stopgap in trucking fleets to salvage motors and other components from trucks that were otherwise worn out or damaged, but they quickly caught on as a way to sidestep new emissions rules and save money.
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https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/2/17/17020194/glider-truck-pollution-loophole-trump-epa
