The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry is part of a coalition dedicated to defeating a proposed federal regulation that could significantly disrupt rail operations across the country.
The Missouri Chamber submitted a comment letter that raises concerns about the California Air Resource Board (CARB) waiver request that is currently before the EPA. The letter is being sent to EPA Administrator Michael Regan.
The California rule would require railroads to phase out thousands of locomotives by 2030 in favor of “zero emission” locomotives, even though the required technology does not currently exist. Furthermore, the rule requires rail operators in California to deposit hundreds of millions of dollars per year into a state-run account that would eventually be used to purchase the non-existent technology. California officials have admitted that many short line operators would go bankrupt in the pursuit of this rule.
The rule would raise costs and strain supply chains for Missouri residents and businesses.
“As a major east-west transshipment point, Missouri might be separated by thousands of miles from California, but our states are intertwined when it comes to rail commerce,” the letter states. “If the largest state in the country—one that is home to the nation’s largest port system—imposes this unworkable regulation, the downstream disruption in Missouri will cost us jobs and economic development opportunity. Not to mention the additional congestion on Missouri roadways as freight transportation shifts away from rail transportation.”
A copy of the letter to the EPA can be found here.
For more information, contact Missouri Chamber of Commerce Director of Legislative Affairs Phillip Arnzen at panrzen@mochamber.com or call (573) 634-3511.
