In a striking setback to reduce California鈥檚 air pollution but a win for trucking companies, state regulators have walked away from their ambitious plan to phase out diesel trucks less than a week before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.
As CalMatters鈥� Alejandro Lazo explains, in 2023 the California Air Resources Board voted to ban the sale of new diesel big rigs by 2036 and require large fleets to convert all their trucks to zero-emission models by 2042. About 1.8 million trucks operate in the state.
To enforce the ban, California needs a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (In December, for example, the Biden administration approved California鈥檚 mandate to phase out new gas-powered cars.) But on Tuesday the board withdrew its requests for approving emission standards for diesel trucks in anticipation that the Trump administration will likely reject them.
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Author: Lynn La, CalMatters
Photo by Kelly :