ConservAmerica Urges the EPA to Reject California’s Misguided Locomotive Rule

We have often seen how overly aggressive environmental regulations can hinder economic growth and innovation – and contrary to their purported goals - even increase pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now weighing whether to allow California to move forward with strict emissions standards for locomotives that unfortunately would have economic ramifications well beyond the state’s borders and likely increase emissions.

In general terms, California’s standards require the use of zero-emissions locomotive engines by 2030. As a practical matter, this can be achieved only through the use of technologies – either hydrogen fuel cell or battery electric – that are both prohibitively expensive and cannot be deployed at scale within the proposed compliance timeframe.

Because of the interconnected nature of the United States’ rail system (combined with the fact that additional states could follow suit), EPA’s approval of California’s standards would have major national implications on our ability to efficiently move people, products, agriculture, energy, and material resources that our manufacturing sector needs around the country. It doesn’t require a fancy economics degree to understand the serious economic implications and the damage to our ability to compete with international competitors.

And for what? Freight rail represents only 2% of transportation emissions in the U.S. and 0.6% of total emissions. Because of the increased rail costs, businesses could be forced to move their goods around the country by trucks, which emit approximately 8 times more than rail to move the same cargo. If reducing emissions is truly the paramount priority, it makes far more sense to incentivize greater freight rail utilization rather than imposing restrictive mandates that undermine economic viability and environmental progress.

ConservAmerica is partnering with like-minded organizations to submit comments to the EPA by the April 22 deadline. If you would like to partner with us, please let us know.  And if you would like to submit your own comments, you can do so by clicking here.