Photo: Nissan
After two months of scrutiny and intense debate, the EPA has decided not to go forward with their controversial proposition which could have led to a country-wide ban on converting street cars for racing use.
Thankfully, the Specialty Equipment Market Association discovered the possibility in the 629-page proposal published by the EPA in June 2015 and alerted everyone this February.
Besides the fact that the document was lengthy, it also featured “controversial language.” In layman's terms, we are referring to intricate words and complicated sentences which are difficult to understand at first read for people who are not into lawmaking.
The EPA's proposal was intended for the reduction of carbon emissions made by medium and heavy-duty trucks. However, a section of it forbid the sale of parts and accessories that disable emission controls.
Since SEMA represents the interests of car enthusiasts and the companies which cater to their needs through the sale and service of equipment and parts, it was only natural for them to respond to a law proposition which could have ended a billion dollar industry.
As Automotive News notes, the EPA's representatives stated that the proposal's criticized language was intended to “clarify existing regulations.” The EPA's officials explained that tampering with emission controls on road-going vehicles is already prohibited, and it has been the case for many years.
Furthermore, EPA spokespersons stated that they wanted to restrict companies which sell parts and accessories that disable emissions control equipment, not racers who modify vehicles for track use.
However, it is easy to see why the ban proposed by the EPA would have affected car enthusiasts and US motorsport in general, especially grassroots divisions. The racers mentioned by the EPA would have needed a place to buy components that would improve the performance of their vehicles, but the ban proposed by the organization would have eliminated any legal vendors because of these restrictions, at least for the engine performance enhancement category.
Because almost any improvement to an engine could be considered emission control due to the complicated language used by the EPA, this proposal could have led to an end of tuning as we know it. Unfortunately, nobody has come up with a solution to stop the idiotic trend of “rolling coal.”
Besides the fact that the document was lengthy, it also featured “controversial language.” In layman's terms, we are referring to intricate words and complicated sentences which are difficult to understand at first read for people who are not into lawmaking.
The EPA's proposal was intended for the reduction of carbon emissions made by medium and heavy-duty trucks. However, a section of it forbid the sale of parts and accessories that disable emission controls.
Since SEMA represents the interests of car enthusiasts and the companies which cater to their needs through the sale and service of equipment and parts, it was only natural for them to respond to a law proposition which could have ended a billion dollar industry.
As Automotive News notes, the EPA's representatives stated that the proposal's criticized language was intended to “clarify existing regulations.” The EPA's officials explained that tampering with emission controls on road-going vehicles is already prohibited, and it has been the case for many years.
Furthermore, EPA spokespersons stated that they wanted to restrict companies which sell parts and accessories that disable emissions control equipment, not racers who modify vehicles for track use.
However, it is easy to see why the ban proposed by the EPA would have affected car enthusiasts and US motorsport in general, especially grassroots divisions. The racers mentioned by the EPA would have needed a place to buy components that would improve the performance of their vehicles, but the ban proposed by the organization would have eliminated any legal vendors because of these restrictions, at least for the engine performance enhancement category.
Because almost any improvement to an engine could be considered emission control due to the complicated language used by the EPA, this proposal could have led to an end of tuning as we know it. Unfortunately, nobody has come up with a solution to stop the idiotic trend of “rolling coal.”
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