Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey recently joined 19 other states suing California and the Biden Administration over zero-emission truck mandates that could affect truckers everywhere.
“I will always fight to protect Missouri businesses, and that includes the trucking community that is vital to the success of our state,” AG Bailey reportedly stated. “Joe Biden is partnering with California to attempt to upend Missouri’s economy through the federal administrative state, and my office isn’t going to stand for it.”
The initial lawsuit was filed by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird in the District of Columbia. Bailey joins state AGs from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Citing the impracticality of the Golden State’s zero-emissions truck measures and the Biden Administration’s willingness to allow one state to dictate how interstate trucking is conducted, the litigation could have wide-reaching implications. Other states have made rumblings they want to follow California’s lead and outlaw gas- and diesel-fueled big rigs.
“We’re leading the charge to get dirty trucks and buses – the most polluting vehicles – off our streets, and other states and countries are lining up to follow our lead,” Gov. Gavin Newsom reportedly stated.
As it stands, California regulations only allow the registration of heavy-duty commercial motor vehicles made in 2010 or newer. The majority of in-state truck sales must be up to 70 percent zero-emissions by 2035. In a recent move, California called for a complete phase-out of diesel trucks by 2045 based on its state law.
The measure would have a ripple effect across the country’s freight transportation industry. And in March, the head of the EPA issued a waiver that allows California law to impact truckers moving goods and materials across state lines.
“Under the Clean Air Act, California has longstanding authority to address pollution from cars and trucks,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan reportedly stated.
The linchpin of the 20 attorney generals’ lawsuit may be the fact such measures are impractical. Only 2 percent of commercial trucks sold are battery electric, and the country lacks sufficient charging infrastructure. In response, California recently announced the construction of a facility that could charge more than 90 electric trucks at a time. The outcome of the high-profile lawsuit could determine whether a single state can dictate regulations that impact truckers across the country.
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After an EPA waiver, it appears California could dictate the types of rigs truckers use to transport 72 percent of America’s goods and materials.
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