DOT Proposal Would Require States to Track Highway Emissions

Abstract

Said July 7 it will propose regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector in an effort to address climate change. Under the proposal, similar to one released late in the Obama term but dropped by the Trump administration in 2018, state transportation departments and metropolitan planning organizations would be required to track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to highway and road driving. A draft of the proposal was released by DOT's Federal Highway Administration, which already has a framework to track national emissions performance measures to help states assess their own controls and to inform decisions about infrastructure and other investments. Transportation officials say the sector is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and that the proposed rule will help reduce a key factor in the climate crisis. Officials say state DOTs and planning organizarion will have flexibility in solutions they adopt to meet reduction targets. The Congestion Reduction program will provide $6.4 billion in formula funding through the law to help states and local governments fund a wide range of projects designed to reduce carbon emissions from on-road highway sources. "State laws already require 24 states and the District of Columbia to set targets and track their greenhouse gas emissions, and this proposed rule would bring the locally proven approach to scale nationwide." Many environmental groups quickly praised the DOT action, but other stakeholders contend the proposal won't fly.