Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association
Supply · Service · Stewardship

Environmental Groups Looking to Illinois Pollution Control Board to Push Through California Emission Standards By 2035

This spring session, HB 1634 was introduced at the Illinois State Capitol. HB1634 would require Illinois to adopt CARB (California Air Resource Board) environmental regulations, subjecting Illinois citizens to the extreme policies of the California bureaucracy. This proposal is extremely detrimental to anyone that owns a semi. After facing roadblocks in the General Assembly from an entire range of groups, including Governor Pritzker, several environmental groups are now petitioning the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) to stop the sale of gas and diesel-powered vehicles in Illinois by 2035.
 
The environmental groups’ petition is modeled after a California regulation to force more electric vehicles on the state’s highways, the lack of charging infrastructure notwithstanding. The proposal would not force existing gas and diesel-powered vehicles off the road. The plan does call for an aggressive phase in schedule starting in 2028.  The proposal to the IPCB would mandate that 20 percent of new trucks would have to be zero-emission by that date. While Gov. Pritzker has said he supports the concept, he is afraid anything too aggressive will hurt Illinois business.
 
IFCA will keep watching this issue for our members. This would be very harmful for the ag input industry, our farmer customers, and all businesses that own trucks in Illinois. IFCA is waiting to hear what the Illinois Pollution Control Board next steps are.