New California Locomotive Emissions Rules

Railroad industry sues to block new locomotive pollution rules in California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The railroad industry on Friday sued to block new environmental rules in California, arguing they would force the premature retirement of about 25,000 diesel-powered locomotives across the country long before their zero-emission counterparts are ready to take their place.
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In a lawsuit filed in federal court, the industry says the technology for zero-emission locomotives hasn't been sufficiently tested and won't be ready to carry the load of delivering more than 30 million carloads of freight nationwide each year.

The lawsuit asks a judge to declare the California Air Resources Board does not have the authority to issue these rules. The trade groups say that only the federal government can regulate railroads because it is an interconnected industry that crosses state lines. They note that more than 500 companies all share the 180,000 miles (289,682 kilometers) of track across 49 states, Canada and Mexico.
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