The House has moved to block a Biden administration policy that granted California special permission to enforce stricter emissions rules on large ships docking in its ports. Under the waiver, vessels would have had to either install costly pollution-control technology or pay a fee to comply with state environmental standards. The decision reverses a previous exemption that allowed California to bypass federal regulations on maritime emissions. Environmental groups and state officials had supported the measure as a key step in reducing air pollution from shipping.
The House voted to nix a Biden-era waiver allowing the Golden State to order any large ship in one its ports to shut off its diesel engines resulting in installing pricey emissions-control tech, or paying a fee.
