Environmental Protection Agency Reverses Decision of Former Administrator Scott Pruitt

In one of his final decisions prior to his departure, former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt announced that the EPA would no longer be enforcing the 2018-2019 production cap on glider trucks. Prior to this announcement, the 2018-2019 production limit that was imposed in January capped the number of glider trucks that could be produced at 300 per year.

Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler recently released a memo reversing this decision. “…after further consideration of the No Action Assurance and information before me…I have concluded that the application of current regulations to the glider industry does not represent the kind of extremely unusual circumstances that support the EPA’s exercise of enforcement discretion. I am therefore withdrawing the July 6, 2018, No Action Assurance.”

Prior to the imposition of the production cap in 2015, approximately 10,000 glider trucks were sold nationally. Before Pruitt departed EPA, a spokeswoman stated that the agency was considering delaying the production limit cap until December 2019, by which time it hoped to have the cap permanently repealed. In his new memo, Administrator Wheeler states that the agency will “move as expeditiously as possible on a regulatory revision regarding the requirements that apply to the introduction of glider vehicles into commerce to the extent consistent with statutory requirements and due consideration of air quality impacts.”

To view the memo recently released by Acting Administrator Wheeler, click here: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-07/documents/memo_re_withdrawal_of_conditional_naa_regarding_small_manufacturers_of_glider_vehicles_07-26-2018.pdf