EPA Declines to Regulate Greenhouse Gases From Ships, Off-Road Engines

The EPA has turned down a demand from U.S. environmental groups that it curb greenhouse-gas emissions from aircraft, ships, or other off-highway vehicles. The agency’s decision not to regulate nonroad engines, and its indefinite delay in regulating aircraft, comes in response to a 2010 lawsuit from an environmental coalition asking the EPA to address these types of pollution.

The agency sent a court-ordered response today to the Center for Biological Diversity and other groups, saying that it wouldn’t issue regulations for those sources of carbon dioxide anytime soon.

“EPA does not have the resources to consider all possible sources of climate change in the near or medium term,” the agency said in its response to the groups. “EPA has directed its efforts at categories of sources that are the largest contributors to greenhouse-gas emissions.”

Aircraft, ships and engines on vehicles operating off roads and highways are responsible for 24 percent of U.S. mobile- source greenhouse-gas emissions and emit approximately 290,000 tons of soot every year, according to the environmental groups that petitioned for EPA action.

This post was authored by GLLF staff attorney Emily Kelchen.