On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) joined his Senate colleagues in urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to oppose a California Air Resources Board (CARB) rule that the Senators said would harm the rail industry.
Hoeven joined U.S. Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Joe Manchin (D-WV), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan requesting that the agency oppose the rule citing economic dangers, as well as possible supply chain threats.
“Attempts to create state-specific operational rules, such as those envisioned by CARB, would jeopardize the interoperability of the national network and would threaten the overall health of the supply chain,” the senators wrote. “CARB has stated its goal is to force the railroads to convert their national fleets to the currently unavailable and untested zero-emission locomotives. The CAA does not grant EPA the authority to allow states to mandate specifications for the design and manufacture of locomotives – which is precisely what CARB seeks in its authorization request.”
The senators said that if the EPA approved the authorization request from CARB, the results would devastate the rail industry, and subsequently, the economy as a whole. Additionally, the senators said, the financial strain created by the regulation would trickle down through other states. Forcing railroads to adopt unproven technology would jeopardize the supply chain, hey said.
The letter is supported by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA).