U.S. Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Michael Burgess (R-TX) led a call on Monday for the EPA to extend the public comment period on its proposed light-duty vehicle emissions draft report.
Upton, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Burgess, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, made the call in a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
The public comment period for the EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) draft report on light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas emission standards and average fuel economy standards for model years 2022-2025 was set to end on Sept. 26.
“The (draft report) exceeds 1,000 pages in length, contains extensive technical information, and references a large number of supporting documents,” the lawmakers wrote. “Furthermore, a portion of the referenced supporting documents were not available at the beginning of the public comment period.”
Given those factors, the lawmakers wrote, the EPA and NHSTA should provide a full 60-day extension for public comment on the draft report, extending the deadline to Nov. 26.
“Light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas emission standards and corporate average fuel economy standards have far reaching economic, environmental, employment and safety impacts,” the letter states. “Given the complexity and scope of the (draft report), the technical, legal and practical issues raised, and the data commenters may need to collect to comment on the report, additional time for public comment is warranted.”