Hill Plans Engine Hearing

A House subcommittee chairman said last week he plans to hold a hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency’s October 2002 deadline for cleaner diesel truck engines, while an EPA official said there is no reason to extend that increasingly criticized date.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), who chairs the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, could schedule a hearing as early as January, "And yes, the trucking industry will play an important part in it," Barton press secretary Samantha Jordan said. “We are aware of the issues involved."

Fleet owners appear increasingly wary of the fuel efficiency, cost and reliability of the unproven engines, with some saying they will take steps to avoid buying the next-generation units in 2003 model-year trucks.

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