US highway safety agency drops 50-year-old environmental review rules

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has removed its 1975 environmental review procedures. This means the agency will now follow newer, department-wide environmental rules instead of its own outdated ones.

For nearly 50 years, NHTSA used environmental review rules from the 1970s. These rules were based on laws that no longer exist. Now, NHTSA will use the same environmental review process as the rest of the Department of Transportation. This could streamline how the agency assesses the environmental impact of new vehicle standards or safety regulations.