While California faces judicial battles, states are unleashed to save their climatic objectives
Where the trucks come together
There is also a political tool called indirect source rules, or ISR.
The rules are called “indirect” because they do not regulate the vehicles themselves, but the installations which attract heavy circulation of emissions, such as large warehouses, ports or railway courses. The rules hold the owners or operators of the installations responsible for reducing or compensating for the pollution of their profitable traffic.
Studies show that pollution of these trucks is often found in neighboring neighborhoods, which are disproportionately disproportionately and communities in color.
California is currently the only state applying ISR.
In southern California, large warehouses must take measures to reduce pollution caused by truck visits, either by switching to electric vehicles, installing chargers or paying a clean air fund. It is the first rule of gender in the country and it survived a legal challenge in 2023, paving the way for other states to consider a similar action.
New York is one of them. Its legislators presented a bill in January which could require warehouses with more than 50,000 square feet to reduce truck emissions by meeting certain benchmarks, such as the accommodation of electric deliveries or the supply of bicycle loading zones. New York City has its own version of the rule under deliberation to the Council. In June 2025, the bill remains blocked in the environmental committee. The municipal council has until December to act before the bill.
In New Jersey, where warehouse growth has exploded, legislators in 2024 have proposed a bill that would require “high traffic installations” to request air pollution permits and provide plans to reduce the pollution of diesel trucks.
“This is really pushed by community groups and environmental justice communities, especially in the north of Jersey. But also, the warehouses are starting to appear even in very rural regions of the south of Jersey. It therefore very quickly becomes a question on the level of the state in New Jersey, “said Ambrose of the prospect of New Jersey’s policy.
In Colorado, its air quality regional council in April announced its intention to ask its air quality control commission to use SRI for areas with the worst air quality.
Industry groups, especially in the logistics sector, repel. The federation of the industry supply chain told Wall Street Journal that southern California ISR was a “stolen door approach [that] does not do much to reduce emissions and rather increase costs, disrupts supply chains. »»
However, experts say that this can be one of the few options for states to reduce emissions from heavy traffic facilities. Because these rules do not directly regulate car manufacturers or trucks themselves, they do not need federal approval.
“We must certainly be agile and fluid and also understand the type of landscape in the state,” said Deloiacono.
