US EPA considering two-year delay in enforcing Biden vehicle pollution rule

WASHINGTON, Dec 11 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering delaying enforcement of a Biden-era regulation requiring significant cuts in air pollution from vehicles, a senior agency official told Reuters.

In April 2024, the EPA finalized a rule requiring significant reductions in so-called "criteria pollutants" emitted from passenger and commercial vehicles including nitrogen oxides from the 2027 through 2032 model years. The EPA is considering keeping the 2026 standard in place for two additional years to give the agency time to reconsider the Biden-era standards and how the agency sets standards. The EPA has separately proposed revoking the scientific finding that justified setting greenhouse gas emission standards for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines.