CARB’s ACC II regulations are a misguided, rushed attempt to
oversimplify a solution, and do not consider impacts outside of
California’s large cities. We do not currently have the
infrastructure nor is our industry set up to support this rapid
shift. We rely on workers who get to and from work in their own
gas-powered cars and trucks. 2035 is right around the corner
and mass transit and a middling charging infrastructure is not
going to work and is going to cause real economic pain for growers
and farmworkers alike.
We know that
our industry has a central role in addressing the climate crisis.
We’re creating large-scale projects like methane digesters.
We’re using new water practices that protect our supply. We
are already part of the solution. But in this case, these rushed
regulations will only hurt the workers in the Valley. I
invite all of you to join me in the fields, talk to the workers and
drive through Mendota, Orange Cove, San Joaquin and yes even Fresno
and get a first-hand look at a region that is not remotely ready
for this type of transition.
I believe in
our uniquely Californian way; we will face this challenge with
ingenuity and innovation. But we cannot accept false solutions that
ignore and leave behind California’s agricultural industry.
We want to be a part of the solution – but we can’t be
a part of that solution if we can’t get to work. Thank
you for listening to my testimony today.
|