Time to ‘hit the brakes’ on ACT until infrastructure, engine technology is ready

OLYMPIA – April 22, 2025 – The Washington Trucking Associations issued the following statement today in response to the Department of Ecology’s latest announcement giving the agency discretionary authority to exempt state and local governments’ medium- and heavy- duty vehicles from snow removal and street sweeping from the Advanced Clean Trucks rules.

“Today’s announcement by the state Department of Ecology underscores a double standard when it comes to enforcing the Advanced Clean Trucks rules,” said WTA President & CEO Sheri Call. “While the private sector is being forced into compliance with unattainable emissions rules, Ecology has decided it can opt state and local government equipment out – including snowplows, sand trucks, and street sweepers — presumably for some of the very same reasons our industry has been asking for a delay or complete delinking from ACT. Namely, our state does not have the infrastructure in place to charge these vehicles, and new electric snowplows,
sand trucks and street sweepers are expensive,” she said.

“Massachusetts and Maryland just hit ‘pause’ on ACT, Oregon is about to do the same. We are rapidly becoming an outlier, jeopardizing our supply chain,” Call continued. “Washington should also pause ACT implementation or delink entirely. We support a transition to clean trucking, but the infrastructure and vehicle technology are not there yet. It’s time to hit the brakes on ACT,” added Call.

“The state shouldn’t get to play by a different set of rules.”

About the Washington Trucking Associations

Since 1922, the Washington Trucking Associations (WTA) has served as the unified voice for the trucking industry in Washington. Member supported, WTA is dedicated to advocating sound public policies, providing excellence in education, training, and information, as well as promoting a safe, dependable, and efficient trucking industry in Washington For more information, visit www.watrucking.org