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.
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