THIS IS THE WORST NON-JOKE EVER.

[thesameguy]

FIGHT THE LeMONS LAW
Proposed EPA reg would make converting street cars into racing cars illegal. And we're not even kidding this time.

Washington DC--Industry watchdog SEMA has identified new EPA rules that could outlaw the conversion of street cars into racing cars (aka, a LeMons Law). If passed, the new Federal regs will eliminate roughly the same amount of pollution as guys mowing their lawns in flipflops on a Saturday.

Sure, maybe we blew a few motors at Barber last weekend, but that does seem a little excessive.

Along with traditional sports-car, drag, circle-track, offroad, HPDE, and other motorsports communities, 24 Hours of LeMons will be watching as the proposed regs progress through the EPA's rulemaking system. In the meantime, get your senators and representatives on speed-dial. Amazingly, this isn't a put-on.

https://www.sema.org/news/2016/02/08/epa-seeks-to-prohibit-conversion-of-vehicles-into-racecars?utm_source=Copy+of+ECR+%2716+Last+Call&utm_campaign=ECR+last+call+16&utm_medium=email

What the actual fuck.

[Godson]

I signed the petition.

[Random]

I'll copy and paste my response from another forum:


SEMA needs to include a reference to what they are arguing about.

This is from the "miscellaneous updates" section:


The existing prohibitions and exemptions in 40 CFR part 1068 related to competition engines and vehicles need to be amended to account for differing policies for nonroad and motor vehicle applications. In particular, we generally consider nonroad engines and vehicles to be ‘‘used solely for competition’’ based on usage characteristics. This allows EPA to set up an administrative process to approve competition exemptions, and to create an exemption from the tampering prohibition for products that are modified for competition purposes. There is no comparable allowance for motor vehicles. A motor vehicle qualifies for a competition exclusion based on the physical characteristics of the vehicle, not on its use. Also, if a motor vehicle is covered by a certificate of conformity at any point, there is no exemption from the tampering and defeat-device prohibitions that would allow for converting the engine or vehicle for competition use. There is no prohibition against actual use of certified motor vehicles or motor vehicle engines for competition purposes; however, it is not permissible to remove a motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine from its certified configuration regardless of the purpose for doing so.


That looks to me like an observation that it is already illegal to convert a "motor vehicle" to a race car and that the rules for "competition exemptions" for competition engines/"nonroad vehicles" and "motor vehicles" need to be aligned.

If you want to see the source:
http://www3.epa.gov/otaq/climate/regs-heavy-duty.htm

Scroll down to "Proposed Rule." (big pdf)

The paragraph I quoted above is on page 40527.

[thesameguy]

I think that's not an unreasonable interpretation, but it also seems in conflict with the Clean Air Act. I could see the EPA trying to make those clarification and codify the exemption, but I could also see the EPA trying to set up a system to charge manufacturers (or maybe people) to "reassign" a motor vehicle. I know the EPA has been trying to dig into racing for years to control noise, pollution, etc., and I see no reason why wouldn't switch approaches and attack that from the consumer side. If they simply make it harder to make competition ("nonroad") vehicles in the first place, they're closer to controlling them entirely.

I think this proposed legislation is extremely ambiguous and I think that's SEMA's point. I'm 100% for protecting our lungs and our ears, but I'm 100% against vague legislation that extends power without a specific result in mind.

Here is the change.org petition:

https://www.change.org/p/president-of-the-united-states-prevent-the-epa-from-banning-vehicle-modification

[thesameguy]

I will add - the fact that they buried these rules in a proposal for medium and heavy duty vehicles suggests they are being deceptive. Since when is an M3 a medium duty vehicle?

[Random]

There's a whole section in there devoted to "miscellaneous" updates of the CFR. A lot of it appears to be language clean-up, errors and omissions, and removal of obsolete standards/language.

[pl8ster]

Because if you want to race 'street' cars, the EPA wants you to do that on the actual street. Seems logical.

<hystericalscreamingman.gif>

[thesameguy]

I think you have to move to New Zealand to do that!

[Random]

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/02/09/epa-racecar-emissions-illegal-update-official/

[thesameguy]

Ha. I think at this point the EPA would have a hard time enforcing that! "Yeah, we passed a law but never enforced it." Sounds like not a law. :lol:

[Rare White Ape]

I'm skeptical that this will change anything in any meaningful way, but hey, I signed the petition.

[thesameguy]

http://www.24hoursoflemons.com/images/EPA-Memo.pdf?utm_source=Details+of+EPA%27s+LeMons+Law+ Proposal&utm_campaign=LeMons+Law+Brief&utm_medium=email

Seems like it's as bad as it seems like.

[thesameguy]

As a result, based on the statutory text and the legislative history, competition vehicle
emissions have never fallen under the ambit of the EPA and the CAA, as amended. As discussed
in the section below, the EPA shares this understanding and is seeking to end the emissions
control exemption for competition motor vehicles such as the light-duty motor vehicles
commonly used in motorsport.


The EPA9 recognizes that competition vehicle emissions do not fall squarely within the
purview of the CAA (as amended), and seeks to eliminate that exclusion beginning in 2018. As
the EPA states in the explanatory notes for “Miscellaneous EPA Amendments,”


The EPA repeatedly proposes to amend various sections of the CFR to clarify that
the 1068.235 exception for nonroad engines in competition use does not apply to competition
motor vehicles. Competition motor vehicles, which were necessarily once motor vehicles with
certified emissions control systems, can never acquire nonroad status in the EPA’s scheme.


Certified motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines must remain in their
certified configuration even if they are used solely for competition or if they
become nonroad vehicles or engines; anyone modifying a certified motor
vehicle or motor vehicle engine for any reason is subject to the tampering and
defeat device prohibitions of 1068.101(b): a civil penalty of $37,500 may be
subjected for each engine or piece of equipment in violation by a
manufacturer or dealer; violation by anyone else may be assessed a civil
penalty of up to $3,750 per engine or piece of equipment

Two
Characters

[thesameguy]

Also. A+ work for this attorney:


While troublesome for some autosport enthusiasts of heavy-duty vehicles and those who like to “roll coal” on their competition brodozers

:lol:

[KillerB]

Well, that petition already got its 100,000 signatures.

[thesameguy]

There are others. I hope this message was loud & clear.

[LHutton]

But yet they couldn't even get coal-fired powerstations to reduce emissions by 25% by 2030.

[thesameguy]

This is just flexing nuts.

[Drachen596]

The EPA and a few other big government organizations like the FAA like to announce things and then wait to see how much push back they get before trying to pass or enforce the law/rules.

FAA did it with the mandatory ADS-b and while they are going forward with it the time frame got stretched quite a bit.