South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a comment letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to uphold a federal legal block on California's Advanced Clean Fleets regulation. This regulation seeks to impose an electric-truck mandate on fleet owners, operators, and manufacturers, including those who operate in California for as little as one day per year. A coalition of 24 states argues that the EPA should not permit California to exceed its statutory and regulatory authority by implementing a mandate that could disrupt national logistics and transportation industries.
"Even though this issue is specific to California, it would affect the rest of the states as well, because so many goods come into California and are then trucked to the rest of the country," Attorney General Wilson stated. "Just as importantly, we cannot allow one state to dictate policy on an issue that’s reserved for the federal government."
Under the Clean Air Act, only the federal government can set emissions standards for vehicles. After California requested a waiver from the EPA to enforce Advanced Clean Fleets, the EPA solicited comments on whether to grant this request. The states' comment contends that granting such a waiver would be unconstitutional, as it would allow California to regulate motor vehicles uniquely compared to other states. The comment further argues that federal law does not permit either California or the EPA to ban internal-combustion vehicles altogether.
Given California's significant population and its access to international trade ports, enforcing Advanced Clean Fleets could have substantial nationwide effects on supply chains if approved by the EPA.
Alongside Attorney General Wilson, attorneys general from Nebraska, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia West Virginia and Wyoming have also signed onto this comment letter.
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