5 minutes

Dennis Katsnelson

The California Air Resources Board declared earlier this year that all currently registered medium- and heavy-duty diesel trucks would be phased out by 2042 and that the sale of these vehicles would be prohibited by 2036. After the introduction, the regulation was opposed by truck manufacturers and companies because of increased expenses, longer charging times, and a reduced travel range.

Documents filed on October 16th reveal that the California Trucking Association (CTA) is challenging CARB over the "Advance Clean Fleets" rule. According to the lawsuit, the US Environmental Protection Agency must grant the state approval before it may control vehicle emissions. Major truck manufacturers and the California Air Resources Board agreed to prevent further legal challenges to the regulation. Consequently, the Truck and Engine Firms Association and other well-known firms have consented to endorse the directive and have pledged not to bring legal action. Iowa is leading 19 other states in suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for supporting California's proposed heavy diesel vehicle ban. The lawsuit claims the agency is trying to drive traditional trucking "out of existence" by enforcing net-zero emissions rules.

Against the EPA and its administrator, Michael Regan (in his official capacity), Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and her colleagues from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming filed a 51-page lawsuit on June 5 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

"When the EPA and California attempt to drive truckers out of business, Iowa won't go unnoticed. We're retaliating," declared Bird. "There is no legal basis or authority for the EPA or California to compel truckers to adhere to their extreme climate agenda."

She argued that President Joe Biden's administration allowed California to require the majority of buses, vans, trucks, and tractor-trailers to be electric by 2035, even though just 2% of heavy trucks produced in the US are electric.

"Biden's EPA is trying to impose its extreme climate change agenda on the rest of the nation by using the truck ban in California.” State Attorney General Kris Kobach stated, "This disastrous Biden policy would devastate Kansas industries, destroy Kansas jobs, and dramatically increase the cost of consumer goods for Kansas families." He pointed out that the trucking sector supports 70,000 jobs in Kansas. On June 7, Kobach declared, "I am once again challenging a Biden policy because I believe that California's truck ban is reckless."

Without truck drivers to deliver our food, clothing, and other essentials, America would come to a complete standstill. However, Biden continues to drain our hardworking truckers' pockets and make them drive electric trucks to further his extreme climate change agenda, according to Bird, rather than supporting them. As biodiesel becomes increasingly popular, it is produced in Iowa and other states in more significant amounts as a ready solution for reduced emissions from diesel trucks. The sustainable fuel supports American farmers and is produced in the US from recovered restaurant grease, animal fats, or vegetable oils.

Blends of biodiesel can be used to power almost all heavy-duty diesel vehicles. Although the B20 mix is most often used, all original equipment manufacturers permit using a B5 biodiesel blend. The attorneys general of the 19 states opposing the prohibition on diesel trucks argue that the Advanced Clean Trucks rule in California is illegal under the Clean Air Act and other federal statutes. Through their case, they are asking the court to examine the EPA's conduct.

Regan said that the EPA had restored California's Clean Air Act authority to enact its own greenhouse gas emission rules and a sales requirement for zero-emission vehicles, opening the door for other states to adopt similar green policies. According to Regan, the EPA has proudly reiterated "California's long-standing authority" to spearhead initiatives to reduce pollution from cars and trucks.”

"To address the climate problem, our collaboration with state governments is more crucial than ever. We reinstate an approach that has helped advance clean technologies and cut air pollution for people not just in California but for the U.S. as a whole," he said, referring to the move taken today. The California Air Resources Board then enacted a rule on April 28 of this year requiring the progressive replacement of diesel medium- and heavy-duty on-road vehicles (with a gross vehicle weight rating over 8,500 pounds) with zero-emission vehicles.

According to Bird, eight states have already enacted California's truck prohibition, and more are considering doing the same. Electric truck prices can already start in the upper six figures and begin at roughly $100,000. Even worse, the new laws in California are establishing the norm for the entire nation. This makes California a key player in determining how the country's trucking business develops going forward, the speaker added.

Additionally, according to Bird, "it will not only increase costs, but it will devastate the demand for liquid fuels, such as biodiesel, and cut trucking jobs across the nation" if the EPA supports California's diesel truck ban. "At present, the trucking sector in Iowa supports approximately 100,000 jobs or nearly one in every thirteen jobs in the state." In 2020, California approved the Advanced Clean Trucks rule. Nine other states have already embraced the rule, which lays out a schedule for zero emissions truck sales: New York, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Colorado. Under the rule, more than 100 million Americans can breathe cleaner air.