Political push on the diesel rule
Mark Grossi, December 2, 2008, FresnoBee.com News Blog
The final political push has begun over the new diesel rule, which by 2010 will force truckers and bus owners to begin buying clean-running rigs or retrofitting their equipment with more pollution controls.
An industry coalition called Driving Toward a Cleaner California will ask the state to consider the current economic situation and adopt a rule that cleans the air without seriously harming the goods movement sector.
The California Air Resources Board will vote on the rule Dec. 11. The coalition says the cost will be at least $5.5 billion.
Bottom line, according to the coalition:
"The regulation, as it currently stands, could force many businesses to close their doors altogether because they simply won't be able to afford the new equipment they will need to comply."
Read about the coalition's suggestions for rule tweaks here.
No word yet on a final push from the other side -- environmentalists and activists. What will they say?
