California withdraws its diesel truck and locomotive ban

DieselLocomotive_alpegor-AdobeStock_88218477_1920x1080.jpg

alpegor - stock.adobe.com

California has withdrawn its requests for federal approval to implement harsher rules for semi-trucks and locomotives. The move is in preparation for the incoming second Trump Administration.

One of the rules the state pulled after the EPA failed to approve it would have phased out the sale of new diesel-powered buses and semi-trucks by 2036, according to AP News. Another rule would have 23 banned locomotive engines, that were older than 23 years, by 2030 and increase zero-emissions technology use to transport freight from ports.

Air Resources Board Chair Liane Rudolph says the agency will continue its efforts to improve air quality.

“California has withdrawn its pending waiver and authorization requests that U.S. EPA has not yet acted on...While we are disappointed that U.S. EPA was unable to act on all the requests in time, the withdrawal is an important step given the uncertainty presented by the incoming administration that previously attacked California’s programs to protect public health and the climate and has said will continue to oppose those programs.”

Story via Sophie Austin with AP News

Related Stories
Farm bill negotiations remain unsettled, leaving producers waiting for updated federal support programs.
Roger McEowen of Washburn University School of Law joined us to discuss key legal and tax issues ranchers should consider as they recover from recent prairie fires across the Southern Plains.
Texas lawmakers secure funding for sterile fly production as officials work to stop the New World screwworm from spreading into the U.S. cattle herd.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding discusses the recent surge in bird flu cases, the state’s expanded biosecurity response and efforts to support poultry producers.
Geopolitical risk is rapidly increasing fertilizer price volatility before planting.
Kurt Kovarik of Clean Fuels Alliance America joined us to break down the latest developments in the Renewable Fuel Standard rulemaking process and what it could mean for agriculture, energy markets, and rural economies.