Rail industry trade groups filed a lawsuit against a California state agency for rules that call for zero-emissions locomotives to replace existing equipment — a technology the industry says isn’t ready.
“While the urgency to act is real and unquestionable, CARB uses unreasonable, flawed assumptions to support a rule that will not result in emissions reductions,” Jefferies said in an emailed statement. 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 of track across 49 states, Canada and Mexico.