Last week, the ATS joined several other medical and public health groups in comments to the EPA opposing their proposal to roll back final regulations to limit pollution from re-conditioned diesel engines - often referred to as “glider kits” - that are sold as new.  Repeal of the rule – known as the “Glider Kit” rule – will allow older refurbished diesel truck engines to be sold as new without having to meet EPA diesel truck engine emissions requirements for newly manufactured engines.  

The refurbished trucks – with glider kits that are made from salvaged parts but include a new chassis – typically cost 25 percent less than newly manufactured diesel trucks.  For years, the glider kit industry was a very small part of the diesel truck market, but has expanded significantly in recent years as EPA emissions requirements for new diesel truck engines have become more stringent. 

The EPA estimates that diesel engines manufactured prior to 2002 emit between 20-40 times more pollution (NOx and PM) than diesel engines manufactured today.  When the original glider kit rule was issued during the Obama Administration, the EPA estimated that closing the glider kit loophole would save 350 lives in 2017 and over 1600 over the lifetime of vehicles.