The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance made the following comment today, after the MassDEP announced late today that it would delay the potentially devastating prohibition on sales of some diesel heavy duty vehicles in Massachusetts, set to go into effect on January 1, 2025.

“The Executive branch adopted these arbitrary rules with unrealistic prohibitions despite the objections of so many people, businesses, and organizations who told them how harmful they would be. As reality begins to set in, it should come as no surprise that they were forced to reverse course from disaster. The thought that on December 31 of this year a business could buy a new, heavy duty diesel vehicle, but on January 1 of the next year a whole new set of prohibitive rules would take effect that would effectively take away that option, is foolish at best. The Healey administration’s bureaucratic regulators need to drop these restrictions that will put Massachusetts businesses and residents at a disadvantage and stay on pace with federal EPA standards. More importantly, they should be letting the free market drive consumer choices,” noted Paul Diego Craney, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. 

“The Healey administration was wise to delay the implantation of these new rules, but that doesn’t mean they deserve any praise from the public. These arbitrary rules and others like them are simply pageantry contests with other states, and virtue signaling to activists and other political elites. States like New Hampshire, which is currently ranked far ahead of us as far as economic competitiveness, don’t do this to their small businesses and consumers and it shows. The middle class Massachusetts taxpayers will ultimately be the ones to feel it the most when costs of goods skyrocket due to these insane mandates,” commented Craney.

The MassDEP Commissioner announced the delay of the Heavy-Duty Omnibus regulation for one year, starting in Model Year 2026, and to apply enforcement discretion for vehicles used for snow plowing and snow removal purposes (e.g., dump trucks, salt and sand spreaders, front end loaders) and street sweeping vehicles for two Model Years (MY2025 and MY2026) for state and municipal vehicle purchases.  Additional information will be posted on MassDEP’s website later today at https://www.mass.gov/guides/massachusetts-low-emission-vehicle-lev-program.