Last month the EPA cleared California's new rules prohibiting vessels from idling at ports, which requires them to instead plug into shore power. Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains of Delano wants to ensure the rules do not add extra disruptions for agriculture.
In the last week of session, Bains filed a bill that would require the Air Resources Board—before the regulation takes effect—to prove the rules will not disrupt the supply chain and that the equipment is safe for mariners. She pointed out that California’s ports handle 40% of the nation’s imports and exports and are critical to the success of San Joaquin Valley agriculture. Disruptions have ripple effects that drive up inflation and the price of gasoline, she reasoned.
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Bains claims CARB attempted to conceal the U.S. Coast Guard's concerns about engines overheating and catching fire.
“I am not willing to stand by and watch someone die because CARB didn’t do their job,” she said in a statement Wednesday.
The Legislature will take up the measure in January, when it begins the second half of a two-year session. The at-berth regulation, however, takes effect this month.
