California pulls diesel phase-out request to EPA ahead of Trump administration
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Air Resources Board withdraws request for approval of rules to limit pollution from diesel trains and big rigs. California’s efforts to limit pollution from diesel-powered trains and big rigs were stalled in anticipation of pushback from the incoming Trump administration.
The California Air Resources Board said on Tuesday it withdrew its requests for federal approval to implement stricter emissions rules for locomotives and semi-trucks because the US Environmental Protection Agency had yet to approve them. The decision came just days before Joe Biden leaves office.
During his first administration, Donald Trump attempted to thwart various California climate efforts, including rules to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions from transportation sources. One of the rules California pulled after the EPA failed to approve it would have phased out the sale of new diesel-powered semi-trucks and buses by 2036. The Air Resources Board passed the regulation in 2023. Another rule, which the agency approved the same month, would have banned locomotive engines more than 23 years old by 2030 and increased the use of zero-emissions technology to transport freight from ports and throughout railyards.
Both rules were opposed by industry as costly mandates that would be difficult to implement. The Air Resources Board chair Liane Randolph said the agency was assessing its options to continue its efforts to curb planet-warming emissions and improve air quality but did not offer specifics on what comes next.
