California Trucking Association backs legislation to increase diesel fuel supply

California Trucking Association backs legislation to increase diesel fuel supply    The California Trucking Association, in a statement released Thursday, expressed dismay at rising diesel fuel prices, and what they called 'an unholy alliance' between the state government and California refiners.
   With the price of California diesel 60 cents higher than the rest of the nation, CTA is backing a state bill, Assembly Bill 679, that would allow environmentally-friendly diesel fuel to be sold in the state regardless of where the refinery is located. That would counter a 1993 regulation by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which adopted a California-only diesel fuel standard that prohibits the import of diesel fuel by any entity other than a California refinery.   
   “The prohibition on the import of compliant fuel was and is an unholy alliance between the government and a handful of California refineries, and penalizes the truckers based within the state with upwards of 60 cents per gallon price difference,” stated Stephanie R. Williams, Senior Vice President of CTA.
   “If the fuel is as clean as or cleaner than the fuel sold by California refiners, it could be imported and sold to California businesses.    AB 679 will bring a screeching halt to both the tight supply of diesel fuel and the escalating diesel prices that are economically damaging California’s agricultural and trucking companies,” stated state Assemblyman Ron Calderon, the author of the bill.