Ed. Note: The following is a press release courtesy of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

U.S. EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s draft Phase II greenhouse gas regulations are a positive next step for controlling emissions from trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles said Air Resources Board Chairman Mark D. Nichols on Friday.

“These proposed heavy-duty standards will help the nation fight climate change while driving new technology and reducing costs for truckers and fleet managers,” said Air Resources Board Chairman Nichols. “We support this effort and will be working to ensure the final regulations help California meet our goals for 2030 and beyond .”

As proposed, the draft federal rules would begin affecting manufacturers of trailers for combination tractor-trailer rigs with the 2018 model year.

Engine and truck manufacturers would be required to deliver products meeting the Phase II requirements in 2021.

The draft regulations would affect vehicles from heavy-duty pickups to large 18-wheel tractor-trailer trucks regardless of the type of fuel they use.

California harmonized its heavy-duty vehicle program with the federal Phase 1 greenhouse gas standards in 2013.

This will be the first time federal regulations have required large trailers to help achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

California has had a GHG-reduction regulation in place for box-type trailers 53 feet and longer since 2010.

The Air Resources Board will carefully review the draft federal Phase II regulations in light of AB 32’s mandate to return greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

Governor Brown recently announced a 2030 climate change target of a further 40 percent reduction, as well as a goal of cutting petroleum use 50 percent by 2030.

For more details on DOT’s and EPA’s notice of proposed rulemaking, visit http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/regs-heavy-duty.htm and http://www.nhtsa.gov/fuel-economy.