Congressmen push port truck regulations

Congressmen push port truck regulations    A group of congressmen led by Congressmen Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., sent a letter this week to the leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee calling for a change in federal law to allow ports to regulate trucks coming to their docks.
   “We write to express support for federal legislation that would allow our nation’s major container ports to implement environmental standards above current federal requirements,” said the letter sent by Nadler and 78 other members of the House to committee Chairman James Oberstar and ranking member John Mica.
   Nadler plans to introduce such legislation in coming weeks.
   The letter complains about challenges to portions of the clean truck program in the Port of Los Angeles that would have barred independent owner-operators from the port in favor of a limited number of concessionaires.

Nadler

   The American Trucking Association obtained a preliminary injunction against that concession program last year, which successfully argued the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 does not permit local regulation of trucking for reasons other than safety.
   A federal court in California is considering the legality of parts of the Port of Los Angeles clean truck plan, including the concession agreement.
   The ATA’s position has won wide support from various trade and transportation organizations.
   The letter from Nadler and his colleagues comes as the House prepares to hold a hearing May 5 on the “implementation and impacts of the clean air programs of the Los Angeles and Long Beach.' ' Chris Dupin