Friday, July 1, 2022
CapitalPress.com 3
Industry gears up for ‘clean truck’ mandates, other regulations
By SIERRA DAWN McCLAIN
Capital Press
Trucking companies and related
industries are gearing up for
“clean” truck mandates and simi-
lar rules to go into eff ect across the
West Coast — in California, Ore-
gon and Washington.
Although clean trucks rules
vary by state, all are similar in aim:
They are mandates that strive to
cut emissions by requiring produc-
tion of cleaner trucks while phas-
ing out older diesel models.
All eyes are on California,
which is a step ahead of its north-
ern neighbors.
California aims to have a fully
zero-emission drayage fl eet by
2035. California Air Resources
Board defi nes a drayage truck
as an on-road, heavy-duty vehi-
cle that transports containers and
bulk to and from the ports and rail
yards.
To achieve its goal, the state has
several rules in the pipeline.
The most imminent change
will kick in on Jan. 1, 2023, when
drayage trucks manufactured with
an engine year model of 2007 to
2009 will no longer be allowed to
operate in the state’s ports and rail
yards. Engines prior to that year
are already banned.
Matt Schrap, CEO of Harbor
Sierra Dawn McClain/Capital Press
A truck pulls up to a loading dock at Paradigm Foodworks in Oregon. Trucking companies and related
industries on the West Coast are preparing for clean truck mandates and similar rules to go into eff ect.
Trucking Association, a coalition
of intermodal carriers serving West
Coast ports, estimates that under
the rule, 75,000 trucks currently
in use will no longer be eligible to
operate at ports and rail yards.
“Are we going to have a severe
shortage (of trucks) adding to
the supply chain issues?” Jolene
Boothby, director of customer sup-
port at Sun-Maid Growers, asked
Schrap during a question-and-an-
swer session at the Agriculture
Transportation Coalition’s annual
conference in Tacoma.
It’s hard to predict, Schrap
Funding available
for second round
of Oregon disaster
assistance payments
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
SALEM — The Oregon
Department of Agriculture
has opened a second round
of applications for emer-
gency aid to farmers and
ranchers impacted by natu-
ral disasters in 2021.
State
lawmakers
approved $36 million in for-
givable loans to agricultural
producers last December
on the heels of a punishing
heat wave, wildfi res and ice
storm in the Willamette Val-
ley that caused millions of
dollars of damage to crops.
The Oregon Disaster
Assistance Program was
created to keep farms sol-
vent while they wait for
federal disaster relief from
the USDA Farm Service
Agency.
Program loans are admin-
istered by Umpqua Bank,
Columbia Bank, Bank of
Eastern Oregon and Old
West Federal Credit Union.
The institutions issued 244
loans totaling about $16.2
million during phase one
of the program from May 9
through June 3.
Round two applications
will be accepted through
July 19, with $19.5 million
still available, according to
ODA.
Of the loans issued in
round one, 147 went to small
farms or historically under-
served producers. The aver-
age loan size was $66,747.
Loans were approved in
all counties except Coos,
Benton, Lincoln, Gilliam
and Sherman counties. Jef-
ferson County in Cen-
tral Oregon received the
most approved loans, with
42 totaling more than $3.1
million.
Divided among com-
modities, cattle ranchers
received the highest num-
ber of approved loans with
replied. He forecast that among
owner-operators who fall under
the rule, about one-third will buy
new trucks, one-third will leave
the industry and one-third will
become employees rather than
owning fl eets.
Schrap said truckers are even
“more concerned” about a rule that
will take eff ect the following year.
Jan. 1 of 2024, all drayage trucks
registering online for the fi rst time
with the state’s air resources board
must be zero-emissions vehicles,
meaning hydrogen or electric.
The state also has rules aimed
at increasing production and pur-
chase of electric trucks.
Schrap said he sees four main
challenges in the rapid push for
electric: up-front cost, range,
weight and lack of infrastructure.
According to the International
Council on Clean Transportation,
before government incentives are
factored in, a 2022 battery electric
truck costs two to three times more
than its diesel counterpart. In the
longer term, however, drivers save
on fuel.
Some trucks can travel only
a limited range before need-
ing recharging, and a study from
research fi rm McKinsey & Co.
found that it would take a com-
mon supercharger about eight
hours to charge a heavy-duty
truck with a battery close to 1,000
kilowatt-hours.
Truckers are also concerned
about weight. Electric semi-trucks
weigh signifi cantly more than die-
sel counterparts. Additional weight
means less capacity.
Perhaps the biggest concern
truckers have is over infrastruc-
ture. A 2022 McKinsey study
found that a shortage of charging
and hydrogen refueling infrastruc-
ture is a major barrier to adoption
of zero-emissions trucks.
“The real problem is the infra-
structure,” said Schrap.
Despite challenges, organiza-
tions are investing in electric and
preparing for incoming rules.
Sherry Hertel, vice president
of intermodal sales at Total Trans-
portation Services, said TSSI was
the recipient of two Nikola-manu-
factured electric trucks earlier this
year.
“We’ve been testing them, and
they’re running fabulously,” said
Hertel.
Hertel said she is very pleased
with the trucks’ performance, but
she remains concerned about lack
of infrastructure.
Washington lawmaker: Bar Chinese,
Russians from buying farmland
land and timberland owned
A 1978 law requires for- million acres and in pas-
or leased by foreign inves- eign investors to report tureland by 1.7 million acres
tors in 2020, according to the acquiring or leasing agricul- between 2010-2020.
The House Appropriations USDA.
Most of the pastureland
tural land.
Committee adopted a pro-
The department’s Farm
Foreign persons held an was leased by wind-power
posal June 23 by Washington Service Agency attributed interest in 37.6 million acres companies, according to the
Republican Dan New-
most of the Chinese in 2020, or 2.9% of all U.S. USDA.
Washington ranks third in
house to ban Chinese,
holdings to Hong agricultural land, accord-
Russian, Iranian and
Kong-based
WH ing to the USDA. Forestland the U.S. behind Maine and
North Korean compa-
Group buying U.S. made up 46% of the land Hawaii in foreign invest-
ment in agricultural land.
nies from buying U.S.
pork producer Smith- holdings.
agricultural land.
fi eld Foods in 2013.
The USDA reported that Foreign investors had an
By a unanimous
The
USDA foreign investment in U.S. interest in more than 1.5
voice vote, the com-
reported 4,324 acres agricultural land rose mod- million acres, or 7.1% of
U.S. Rep.
mittee added New-
owned by Iranian estly between 2009 and Washington’s agricultural
Dan
George Plaven/Capital Press
house’s amendment
investors and 834 2015, but has been increasing land.
Shriveled
blueberries
Across the U.S., Canadi-
to a bill funding the Newhouse acres by Russians. by nearly 2.2 million acres
at Unger Farms were
ans had an interest in about
USDA and Food and
No land was report- annually since then.
impacted by an intense
Drug Administration.
edly owned by North Korean
Foreign investment in one-third of agricultural
heat wave at the end
The amendment directs investors.
cropland increased by 6.8 land with foreign investors.
of June 2021. This row
the agriculture secretary to
of berries was on the
block the land purchases,
boundary where over-
but doesn’t specify how. The
head irrigation sprin-
House made the same gesture
klers could not reach
last year, but the Senate did
to keep the fruit cool
not take it up.
during the day.
Newhouse, who represents
Central Washington, said his
proposal was preemptive. The
76, followed by fruit and
U.S. must have energy and
nut growers and “other”
food independence, he said.
crops — including hay,
“This is about our coun-
grass seed, mint, hops and
try’s national security and
hemp.
ensuring that adversaries like
Program requirements
China, like Russia, like North
and eligibility remains the
Korea or Iran do not gain a
same in round two as it did
foothold on American soil,”
in round one. Eligibility is
Newhouse said.
determined by percent loss
Newhouse introduced a
in 2021 measured against an
bill in May to ban Chinese
operation’s three-year aver-
investors from acquiring U.S.
age income, with a maxi-
farmland. The bill has been
mum payment of $125,000
referred to the Agriculture and
or $150,000.
• 1992 International 4900 Bucket Truck
EQUIPMENT HIGHLIGHTS
Foreign Aff airs committees.
Farm size in terms of
• 1985 Peterbilt 359 Dump Truck
• 2016 RAM 1500 Limited Pickup
–
Less
Chinese companies or
acreage, sales or other met-
Moses Lake, Washington
• 1990 International 9300 Dump Truck
Than
60k
Miles!
individuals had an interest
rics are not a factor in deter-
• 1994 Wilson DWH-200
Pace Setter
•
(2)
2003
John
Deere
9650
STS
Combines
in 352,140 acres of agricul-
mining eligibility.
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By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
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