George Borrello

Transportation companies may be leaving New York state so they don’t have to comply with the Advanced Clean Truck regulations.

State Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, said that the ACT rule will negatively impact many businesses, and wants to pause the measure. During a January New York State joint legislative budget hearing, Borrello told State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Director Sean Mahar that the ACT rule restricts the ability of motor vehicle dealerships across the state to buy electric trucks.

The rule was adopted in 2021 and is currently in effect.

“That’s going to negatively impact businesses including also sales tax revenue for New York State,” Borrello said.

The state senator said the new rule won’t take gas or diesel trucks off the roads in the state. He said trucks from other states will continue to travel to New York. Borrello emphasized that his district borders the New York-Pennsylvania state line, and trucks from Pennsylvania do not adhere to the rule.

“You are going to have zero impact, quite frankly, on emissions, so why are we not suspending this right now,” Borrello asked Mahar.

Borrello and other state Republican senators sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul stating their concerns regarding the adoption and implementation of the Advanced Clean Truck while asking for consideration of legislation (S.9910) sponsored by Sen. Joe Griffo, R-Rome, that would delay the implementation of ACT regulations. Griffo’s bill also requests that a task force be formed to conduct a cost-benefit analysis and formulate a more responsible plan, in consultation with the industry, that will both reduce emissions and limit dramatic cost increases for businesses.

“There’s been zero dollars invested so far in commercial truck charging stations,” Borrello added. “And that’s the problem, there is no infrastructure.”

Mahar said that transportation emissions are the leading force behind health impacts in communities.

“New York state has gotten way ahead of itself with many of its Climate Act mandates and the Advanced Clean Truck regulations are a prime example. … I am concerned that this may drive many of them across the state border to Pennsylvania. With every new burden we put on businesses, we are making New York State less competitive. The reasons for the state to hit ‘pause’ on the ACT implementation and other climate mandates keep piling up,” Borrello said in an Oct. 11, 2024 Post-Journal article.

Mahar added that Pennsylvania along with New York State are Section 177 of the Clean Air Act, a federal law which regulates all sources of emissions in the United States.