Automobiles

The oil and gas industry’s leading trade association accused the Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday of skirting federal law by cutting short public consideration of new regulations meant to curb air pollution.

By limiting the comment period for the rule to just 23 days, the EPA is would be violating the Clean Air Act – in the name of clean air, the American Petroleum Institute (API) charged.

“EPA is cramming through unnecessary new regulations for gasoline that could drive up costs without providing significant environmental benefits,” said Bob Greco, director of API downstream group Director Bob Greco. “By limiting public comments, EPA is trying to skirt public participation and transparency in the rulemaking process.”

The mother of two victims of a 2004 car crash involving a rental car that had been recalled told lawmakers on Tuesday that enacting legislation to prohibit a future reoccurrence was a "simple fix."

The comment, from California resident Carol Houck, belied the nearly decade-long quest that preceded Tuesday's hearing on the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2013.

The Senate transportation committee's consumer protection subcommittee held a hearing on the bill (S. 921).

Houck pleaded with the panel to approve the bill, which was named in honor of the two daughters she lost after the 2004 accident that involved a recalled rental car.

"Nobody should have to endure the loss of a loved one because a rental car company didn't bother to get an unsafe, recalled car repaired," Houck said after recounting the circumstances of her daughter's crash. "This is simple to fix. This is do-able now. Please pass this law."

The Senate's bill to prevent rental car companies from renting cars that have been recalled will get a committee hearing this week.

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee's Consumer Protection Committee will meet on Tuesday morning to discuss the legislation, the panel announced on Monday.

The legislation, the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2013, was introduced last week by Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.),  Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who will be chairing Tuesday's hearing. 

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Senators examining the future of driverless cars said they held “great potential” but also expressed uncertainty about safety issues for the new technology during a key committee hearing Wednesday.

"In recent years, we have seen advances in vehicle technology that show great potential – not only to save the lives of many more but also to revolutionize how we have come to understand the relationship between the driver and his car," Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), said during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on the policy implications of self-driving vehicles.

The American Beverage Institute said lowering the limit for drivers to 0.05 would “criminalize perfectly responsible behavior.”

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The National Transportation Safety Board recommended Tuesday that the threshold be 0.05 percent blood alcohol limit.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) will introduce legislation Wednesday calling for increased drilling on U.S. federal lands to displace Iranian oil on the world market, according to a copy of the bill obtained by The Hill.

The bill requires the president to establish enough “Iranian Oil Replacement Zones” on federal lands to produce 1.25 million barrels of oil per day — approximately the amount Iran exports every day.

An Inhofe aide told The Hill that would divert oil the U.S. imports from Saudi Arabia and elsewhere to nations that still buy Iranian crude, such as China, India and Japan. The goal is to give President Obama wiggle room to enforce full sanctions on Iranian oil by ending waivers awarded to some nations. 

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