Bill Would Allow Local Oversight of Emissions Regulations at Ports
A New York Congressman introduced a bill that would allow the Port of Los Angeles to implement its employee-only clean trucks plan supported by the Teamsters union.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said his bill, which has 57 co-sponsors, would give state and local governments the right to enact tougher diesel emissions regulations.
It effectively would provide a limited exemption from federal law that gives the federal government the sole authority to regulate interstate trucking.
American Trucking Associations sued the Port of Los Angeles in federal court and is awaiting a final ruling on the constitutionality of the port’s emissions plan that would ban independent drayage owner-operators from the port.
Curtis Whalen, executive director of ATA’s Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference, said he was not surprised that the bill was introduced.
“Congressman Nadler has been pushing the Teamsters’ position from the beginning,” Whalen said.
The bill would “update federal environmental law to allow forward-thinking ports . . . to implement clean truck programs that will improve the air, empower truckers and reduce the incidence of illnesses exacerbated by pollution.” Nadler said in a statement.
