The rule, hidden in a giant 629-page proposal, caused outcry among auto enthusiasts and the performance parts industry.
After the EPA proposal was made public by SEMA, a bipartisan coalition of five members of Congress championed a bill to block the measure. Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC) introduced H.R. 4715, the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016, in Congress in March, co-sponsored by representatives
Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Bill Posey (R-FL), and Lee
Zeldin (R-NY). "Congress never intended for race cars to be subject to
the Clean Air Act," the bill read. "The RPM Act would simply confirm
that race cars are exempt from EPA regulation via the Clean Air Act."
This
week, Republican leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
joined the effort, sending a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy
asking her to clarify the legal justification for the EPA's proposal to
rule on amateur motorsports.
Apparently,
the groundswell of grassroots opposition from SEMA, coupled with
Congressional pressure, was enough to convince the EPA to abandon the
proposal. In a statement,
the members of Congress who backed the RPM Act said "we are pleased
that just days after our letter, EPA slammed the brakes on their gambit
to regulate auto racing."
(Road&Track.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment