Arizona state Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, voiced opposition to a proposed Environmental Protection Agency waiver that could impact locomotives.
The waiver would allow the California Air Resources Board to require trains to meet zero-emissions standards, a goal many California leaders have been pushing for with all different kinds of transportation. The reason why it’s a matter of the EPA and not just the state is because of the implications the standards would have on the whole country as trains frequently transport to other states.
Cook chairs Arizona's House Transportation Committee.
This proposal will have far-reaching effects here in Arizona, potentially upending the rail industry in our state,” Cook wrote in a letter to EPA administrator Michael Regan on Tuesday.
The Republican lawmaker warned that it could also have serious supply chain implications.
“This rule threatens Arizona’s railways and our supply chain by imposing extreme financial and operational burdens on railroads, especially smaller operators, by requiring the retirement of over 25,000 locomotives aged 23 years or older,” he continued. “This mandate overlooks the long-term nature of locomotive investments and the interconnected nature of our country’s rail network. This would create a fragmented rail network that could jeopardize the supply chain, place an undue burden on rail companies, and drive-up costs.”
