
Just days after his official confirmation, new Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has moved to do away with an agency regulation requiring state transportation departments to establish carbon dioxide emission targets in highway project planning.
In rescinding the Greenhouse Gas Measurement Rule, a press release from Duffy’s office said the action reflects a Trump Administration mission “eliminating harmful and restrictive regulations and prioritizing economic growth.”
The Greenhouse Gas Measurement Rule, which became official in late 2023, mandated that the states, as well as metropolitan planning organizations, put in place declining carbon dioxide targets. In addition, the rule required those entities to report on any progress in achieving such targets.
The rule, from the start, proved controversial, with West Virginia Republican Senator Shelly Moore Capito calling it a “federal overreach to advance a misguided climate agenda.” In response, the department of transportations of Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming filed a brief saying the rule was “without statutory authority.”
The rule was also opposed by the Associated General Contractors of America, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.
Supporters of the bill, however, said the gas emission tracking effort was long overdue. In a statement, Washington Democrat Rick Larsen, remarked that “measuring and reporting the amount of greenhouse gases coming from vehicles on our roads is a key step in achieving a more sustainable transportation future.”
The life of the Greenhouse Gas Measurement Rule has resembled nothing less than a Washington ping-pong game: a version initially issued by President Barack Obama was rescinded by President Trump in his first term, before President Biden resurrected it in 2022.
February 3, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Transportation Department