California Ease Back on Some Planned Environmental Regulations

It seems California may be backing away from moving ahead with some of its recent regulations designed to curb vehicle emissions. According to the Associated Press, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) withdrew a request to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week that would have given it more latitude when it comes to cracking down on diesel-powered trains and semi-trucks. The move comes just as the Trump administration is set to take office, which will likely lead to a dramatic shift in national policy when it comes to protecting the environment and natural resources.

The regulations that CARB withdrew from EPA consideration were passed in 2023 with the expressed goal of banning the sale of new diesel locomotives and semi-trucks by 2036. With those rules, the state hoped to incentivize a move towards zero-emissions vehicles—or ZEVs—with electric trains and trucks replacing diesel models. A second set of regulations that looked to phase out all locomotive engines over 23 years old by 2030 was also withdrawn.

Photo Credit: Ceri Breeze/Getty

Because these regulations went beyond those set forth by the EPA itself, a waiver was required from that agency was required for California to proceed with its plans. Had President Biden won a second term, it is likely these new guidelines would have received the necessary approval. However, based on his first term in office, President Trump isn’t as likely to throw his support behind these environmental efforts, hence the reason the regulations were withdrawn from consideration.

To be clear, the regulations that CARB withdrew from EPA review have nothing to do with the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) which we covered extensively in a recent article. Those regulations were approved by the EPA in December and place restrictions on the use of diesel-powered truck chassis, which has a direct impact on RV manufacturers and RV dealers. Those rules officially went into effect on January 1 and remain in place as of this writing.

Photo Credit: Diesel Modules

That said, CARB’s willingness to be flexible in its approach to its regulations could be a good sign for the future. The board has repeatedly indicated that it wanted to work with RV manufacturers and other commercial entities to find a smart way forward that makes sense for everyone. At the end of the day, California is looking to protect the environment and promote ongoing business ventures at the same time. As noted in our previous article on this topic, it isn’t banning the sale of new RVs outright. Instead, it is trying to create a smarter, more sustainable way forward for everyone involved. Navigating that way forward remains a major challenge, however.

We’ll continue to keep a close eye on this topic and provide updates as they come our way.

The post California Ease Back on Some Planned Environmental Regulations appeared first on RV.com.

Source: https://www.rv.com/rv/california-ease-back-on-some-planned-environmental-regulations/