As you may recall, the EPA has been trying to pass legislation in recent months that was meant to regulate emissions on heavy-duty trucks, but language in the bill had the added effect of making it illegal to convert any vehicle into a race vehicle or sell any emissions-related items for said vehicles. Well, thanks to pressure from Congress, as well as online petitions like this one, the EPA has backed off and removed that language from the bill. However, the issue still remains. SEMA president and CEO Chris Kersting released a statement on Friday addressing the issue:
We want to thank Congress for pushing EPA to withdraw an ill-conceived proposal. However, confusion reigns: the agency continues to assert new-found authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate modification of vehicles for use in competition. This means that those converting and racing competition vehicles, and the parts and services industries that support them, do so under new EPA policy that considers the activity illegal. Only clarifying legislation, such as that offered under the RPM Act, will confirm that such activity is legal and beyond the reach of future EPA regulations. The racing industry and public need a long-term solution to eliminate any uncertainty regarding how the Clean Air Act is interpreted.
Click here for more information on the RPM Act. To support the RPM Act directly, go here.