Washington, D.C. -- Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement regarding the Obama Administration's new fuel efficiency standards for medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including semi trucks and buses, built in model years 2014 through 2018.

Senator Boxer said: "The first-ever federal standards for trucks and buses that the Obama Administration announced today will significantly cut fuel costs for truck owners, and reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. It is also a historic step forward in our nation's efforts to reduce dangerous air pollution, which will benefit families in California and across the nation."

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) established this first-ever program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for trucks and buses, which will reduce oil consumption for vehicles built in 2014 through 2018 by 530 million barrels and greenhouse gas pollution by 270 million metric tons. The standards are expected to yield an estimated $50 billion in total fuel savings over the life of the vehicles and result in long term savings for vehicle owners and operators.

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