AG Strange: New EPA Rule Would Hurt Alabama’s Racing Economy
Alabama is joining eight other states petitioning the federal government to drop a proposal banning the modification of street vehicles into off-road race cars.
Attorney General Luther Strange announced he is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to drop a proposed change to the Clean Air Act.
The new rule would forbid the modification of certified motor vehicles, engines and emission control devices even if they were used solely for competition or non-road vehicles.
Strange calls the proposed rule an example of federal overreach, and says it will hurt Alabama’s car racing business and culture.
“In another example of federal bureaucrats seeking to expand their regulatory reach, the EPA is pushing a proposed change to the federal Clean Air Act to effectively prohibit street vehicles from being converted into off-road race cars,” says Strange.
“In Alabama and across the country, modifying race cars is a popular pastime and a significant contributor to the economy,” Strange continues. “In 2014, $36 billion was spent nationally on automotive specialty equipment parts and accessories. Off-road racing parts businesses which sell their products in Alabama and elsewhere, as well as local racetracks, would be adversely affected by the implementation of the new EPA rule.”
In a statement to Road And Track, EPA spokeswoman Laura Allen clarified the federal government’s language.
“People may use EPA-certified motor vehicles for competition, but to protect public health from air pollution, the Clean Air Act has – since its inception – specifically prohibited tampering with or defeating the emission control systems on those vehicles,” Allen says. “The proposed regulation does not change this long-standing law, or approach.”
“Instead, the proposed language in the Heavy-Duty Greenhouse Gas rulemaking simply clarifies the distinction between motor vehicles and nonroad vehicles such as dirt bikes and snowmobiles. Unlike motor vehicles – which include cars, light trucks, and highway motorcycles – nonroad vehicles may, under certain circumstances, be modified for use in competitive events in ways that would otherwise be prohibited by the Clean Air Act,” says Allen.
Other states calling for an end to this proposal are Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, and West Virginia.
Bernard Kerik, who led NYPD on 9/11 before prison and pardon, has died at 69
Kerik, an Army veteran, was hailed as a hero after the 9/11 attack and eventually nominated to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, before a dramatic fall from grace that ended with him behind bars.
Argentine court declares a mistrial in the death of soccer star Maradona
One of the judges stepped down over criticism surrounding her participation in a documentary about the case. Seven health professionals are accused of negligence in the death of the soccer legend.
White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ report
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" report cited hundreds of studies, but a closer look by the news organization NOTUS found that some of those studies did not exist.
As the Scripps spelling bee turns 100, former champions reflect on its evolution
Previous winners say the spelling bee has become much more competitive and credit television with making it a cultural phenomenon each year.
Supreme Court limits environmental reviews of infrastructure projects
The decision makes it easier to win approval for highways, bridges, pipelines, wind farms, and other infrastructure projects.
The White House is sued over lack of sign language interpreters at press briefings
The National Association of the Deaf says the White House's failure to provide ASL interpreters during press briefings leaves some deaf and hard of hearing people without information.
