A law approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) some 15 years ago that bans certain trucks and buses from operating on California roadways became effective on Jan. 1.
Under the Truck and Bus Regulation, the prohibition applies to diesel vehicles that weigh at least 14,000 pounds and that are older than 2010 because diesel exhaust is allegedly responsible for 70% of the cancer risk from airborne toxins.
Exemptions include trucks older than 2010 whose engines have been replaced with newer ones, and vehicles that are driven less than 1,000 miles per year, which are known as low-use.
Robert Michaels
“The regulation sounds more daunting than it actually is,” said Robert Michaels, a retired California State University (CSU)-Fullerton economics professor. “In reality, trucks are like any other kind of investment businesses make. They grow, they die, and their exact lifespans are determined by economics rather than the law.”
Gerald Berumen, CARB spokesman, said trucks and buses manufactured after 2010 filter out harmful particulate matter more effectively.
“When we passed the regulations in 2008, it was to reduce community exposure to toxic air contaminants, it is 100% to protect public health,” Berumen told KCRA-TV.
Reciprocity rules, however, will likely prevent the new law from applying nationwide, according to Michaels.
“I'm sure there are constitutional issues involving interstate commerce,” he said. “While California is free to pursue its own policies under the Clean Air Act amendments and we can do things that other states can't, the question is whether the rule applies to trucks driving into California from other states.”
Gov. Newsom has been positioning the state as a model for the rest of the nation, particularly in environmental regulation with a $54 billion climate budget.
"California passes lots of laws and regulations, but the question is: What do those really do as far as the entire American energy situation is concerned?" Michaels said.
The Truck and Bus Regulation is expected to only impact 10% percent of commercial motor vehicles statewide, according to media reports, and critics say 10% is not enough to make a difference in emissions.
“The impact is gonna be pretty small because your typical age of these vehicles is not that old,” Michaels said. “It's a symbolic gesture more than anything else.”
Although some experts predict the ban will exacerbate the supply chain shortage at California ports, Michaels argues that the supply chain is nationwide.
"It's not confined to just California," he said. "It's relatively easy to change places of production unless there's some really special type of goods that's specific to the area that we're talking about. The rule is just another one of those California symbolisms more than anything else."