U.S. Congressman Jay Obernolte’s (CA-23) amendment #75 passed the U.S. House of Representatives by voice vote and was included in the Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations bill for the Departments of the Interior and the Environment. Rep. Obernolte’s amendment would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing a waiver to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for its In-Use Locomotive Regulation. The regulation mandates the use of zero-emission locomotives in California despite such locomotives not yet existing. Rep. Obernolte’s amendment prohibits any EPA funds from being used to grant the waiver required for CARB’s electric locomotive rule.
“Freight rail is crucial to the nation’s economy, environment, and infrastructure. It efficiently transports goods over long distances, reduces highway congestion, and greatly lowers greenhouse gas emissions compared to truck transportation,” said Rep. Obernolte. “While I share the broader goal of reducing emissions, CARB’s misguided rule would not accomplish it. Instead, it would have a disastrous impact on interstate commerce, increasing the cost of rail transport, reducing jobs, and raising prices for Californians. This amendment is a win for our High Desert community and will help create jobs at BNSF’s Barstow International Gateway.”
This amendment builds off previous actions Rep. Obernolte has taken in opposition to CARB’s rule:
In May, Rep. Obernolte led 73 of his colleagues in a letter opposing the EPA granting a waiver to CARB for its zero-emission locomotive rule.
Rep. Obernolte held a hearing in June on the feasibility of CARB’s rule requiring zero-emission locomotives.
Rep. Obernolte also delivered nearly 2,000 letters from agencies, organizations, and his constituents in California’s 23rd Congressional District to EPA Administrator Michael Regan expressing their concerns about how granting this waiver would affect the economy and national supply chains.
