Advocacy

EPA Proposal Could Cost Tire Manufacturing Industry $20.8M Per Year

A tire on the assembly lineBy the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

SEMA is working with industry coalition partners to review and respond to newly proposed regulations that would affect tire makers in the nation. The move, if implemented, is estimated to cost the tire manufacturing industry $20.8 million per year. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a proposed rulemaking to amend the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP) for rubber tire manufacturing, as required by the Clean Air Act (CAA). The EPA is required to address unregulated emissions from a source category when the agency conducts an eight-year technology review. 

Currently, the EPA splits the rubber tire manufacturing source category into four subcategories: rubber processing, tire production, tire cord production and puncture sealant application. Prior to this proposal, the EPA regulated three out of four of those sources. The proposed rule seeks to regulate the emissions associated with rubber processing and is the result of the EPA's 2022 information request that was sent to all major source rubber tire manufacturing companies in the United States.

The agency estimates the proposal will cost the tire manufacturing industry $20.8 million per year. SEMA welcomes feedback from members whose businesses are impacted by the EPA's proposal. The deadline to comment has been extended to January 2, 2024; submit your comments electronically here.

For more information, contact Tiffany Cipoletti at tiffanyc@sema.org.