Dissatisfied with the federal government’s efforts to control dirty emissions from buses and big trucks, 13 states have decided to join with California in trying to impose tighter controls on diesel engines. Nearly every Northeastern state, as well as Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, and Texas, is preparing to adopt strict clean-air rules that are being developed by California. Diesel exhaust from trucks and buses is a major source of air pollution and has been linked to cancer “Our hope is with these states joining California, we will create the critical mass that will result in the engine manufacturers deciding to manufacture just one truck model, and it would be a much cleaner truck,” said S. William Becker, head of a group that represents air pollution agencies throughout the U.S. Even as the states push for tougher rules, the diesel engine manufacturers are complaining that already existing federal requirements are too onerous.
