The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has issued an Enforcement Notice concerning its In-Use Locomotive Regulation, which is pending authorization from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Because the EPA’s ruling on CARB’s request has not been made, CARB announced it will delay data collection requirements that were set to begin on Jan. 1, 2025.
In the notice, CARB writes that due to “uncertainty over the timing of the U.S. EPA authorization decision” and the potential need for “entities not previously regulated by CARB…to implement new systems” in order to comply with data collection and reporting requirements, the required reporting period for the 2025 calendar year will “run from July 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025.” Entities will then submit their required reports by July 1, 2026.
The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) have filed suit against CARB in the Eastern District of California on behalf of their members arguing that CARB “lacks the legal authority to enact the locomotive rule because only the federal government has authority to regulate rail operations.” On Sept. 30 the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California issued an order in that case, staying the litigation pending the EPA’s decision regarding CARB’s request.
In related news, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tentatively selected 70 projects to receive funding through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) National Grants Program. These projects include some funding for locomotive upgrades.
The DERA program is meant to help reduce diesel emissions across a range of transportation sectors by providing funding to “incentivize and accelerate the upgrade or retirement of older diesel engines to cleaner and zero-emission solutions.” Although the EPA is working to finish processing all the awards and satisfy legal and administrative requirements, the DERA National Awards webpage features a brief summary of the selected projects and shows a few railroad connections.
In California, the County of Napa will retrofit unregulated switch locomotives to repowered Tier-4 switch locomotives. Awards to the American Lung Association (ALA) will go toward upgrading locomotives in two states. In Missouri the ALA will purchase eight auxiliary power units for line-haul locomotives; in Idaho it will install 21 diesel auxiliary power units for locomotives. And in Washington, the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) will replace seven locomotive tier 2 head end power unit engines with tier 3 versions.
The EPA has said it will update its DERA awards page with more information once all award selections are finalized.
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