Western Growers says it submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 17 urging the agency to deny the California Air Resources Board’s request to fully implement its Advanced Clean Fleets rule, which mandates the transition from diesel to zero-emission trucks and other vehicles.
Western Growers emphasized a significant lack of lead time for developing and deploying the necessary technology, equipment and infrastructure, as well as the lack of consideration to the cost of compliance, according to a news release. The comments also said the existing exemptions and waivers lack clarity and fail to provide assurance to the producers tasked with this significant undertaking.
To move forward with the full rollout of the Advanced Clean Fleets rule, CARB must get a waiver of preemption from EPA under the federal Clean Air Act, which gives California unique leeway to set its own air emissions standards, according to the release.
The implications of a waiver would also go beyond California; several other states in the country have repeatedly moved to adopt California air standards, including Colorado and New Mexico. Therefore, the approval or denial of a waiver could dictate if and when other states could move forward with their own aggressive zero-emission vehicle mandates, the release said.
Throughout the development of the Advanced Clean Fleets rules, Western Growers said it and its allies have directly appealed to CARB for more reasonable changes, timelines and ag-unique considerations. The case must now be made to EPA that a waiver at this time is unjustified, according to the release.
Western Growers provided oral comments on this issue during a virtual public hearing last month. Additionally, the organization co-led a joint coalition letter that similarly urges EPA to deny a waiver for the Advanced Clean Fleets regulations, the release said. The letter is signed by 47 state and national organizations representing a diverse swath of the farming and agrifood supply chains.
