WASHINGTON — A subcommittee of the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has scheduled a hearing this Thursday on California regulations that would require zero-emissions locomotives in the state beginning in 2030.
The focus of the hearing by the Investigations & Oversight Subcommittee is clear from its title: “Environmentalism Off the Rails: How CARB Will Cripple the National Rail Network.” (CARB is the California Air Resources Board, which has set the new regulations.) Scheduled to appear are the heads of the heads of the two major industry trade groups, Ian Jefferies, CEO of the Association of American Railroads, and Chuck Baker, president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. Also slated to testify is Dr. Tyler Dick of the Texas Railway Analysis & Innovation Node at the University of Texas.
The hearing is set for 2 p.m. ET at Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building. A live stream will be available here.
Change has to start somewhere so I guess the State where the auto centric society & the term smog started is the best candidate.
GALEN —- Are you familiar with the concept of laws being made by the California legislature? Not by the governor and not by CARB.
The courts MUST strike down CARB’S regulations, as they interfere with interstate commerce, and the state has ZERO constitutional basic to regulate interstate commerce.
And it that isn’t successful, then maybe the railroads could simply stop service to and from California.
About time somebody slaps down CARB. Their regulation on locos should only stay in effect if the state of California funds the entire cost. They buy and give to the railroads ALL the locos needed to replace existing ones and also fund any extra cost for maintenance and compliance. Maybe they could use the money now slated for the state’s disastrous High Speed Rail project.
Better options is just to slap the regulations down and tell CARB to go sit in the corner on time out. Even residents are sick of some of CARB’s “ideas”…
Maybe the courts will eventually rule that CARB’s regulations concern interstate commerce and strike them down.
If there is going to be a literal strike down of CARB, Gov. Newsom should sell tickets for that action as a way to pay down their 74 billion dollar deficit. It could be quite entertaining for non-Californians to see…