California Air Regulators Approve Landmark Zero-emission Rules For Trucks And Locomotives
Source: Los Angeles Times, Tony Briscoe
Photo: Cargo moves through the Port of Los Angeles by truck and rail in December 2021. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
California air regulators have adopted two landmark rules setting aggressive zero-emission requirements for fleets of heavier vehicles and locomotives, a move expected to drastically cut pollution near ports and rail yards and alter the way goods move through the American West.
In a marathon two-day hearing, perhaps the most consequential session of the year, the California Air Resources Board voted to set an age limit to retire old locomotives while establishing a regulatory framework that requires operators to set aside money to upgrade to cleaner engines and eventually zero-emission powertrains.
In a second vote Friday, the board enacted a rule that will accelerate the adoption of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in all public and many large private fleets — a regulation that will necessitate over 1 million new electric freight trucks, school buses and delivery vehicles over the next 25 years. Arguably the most notable provision will require all cargo trucks entering California seaports and rail yards to be zero-emission by 2035.
“This is an absolutely transformative rule to clean our air and mitigate climate change,” said Liane Randoph, chair of the state Air Resources Board. “And I’m so proud to be here with my colleagues to work on this and advance this forward. We all know there’s a lot of challenges, but those challenges aren’t going to be tackled unless we move forward.”