the first state to pull back from the plan for both trucks and consumer passenger vehicles , according to CEMA .
The proposed regulations were withdrawn by Gov . Ned Lamont in late November , shortly before the legislature ’ s Regulation Review Committee was scheduled to vote on them , news outlets reported . Lamont and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection had proposed the regulations only four months earlier , on July 26 , to make cars and trucks up to 90 % cleaner and to require vehicle manufacturers to deliver more zeroemission vehicles to the state .
The federal Clean Air Act allows states to adopt California ’ s emissions standards rather than the federal standards .
American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear noted that a growing number of states are rejecting what he called “ California ’ s unworkable electric-vehicle mandates .”
Spear said , “ The tide is turning as state officials across the country wake up to the reality that California ’ s electric-truck mandates are bad policy that carry serious political consequences . Technically unachievable standards and unrealistic timelines that set the trucking industry and consumers up for failure are not how we achieve our shared goal of further reducing emissions .
“ As Connecticut , North Carolina , and Maine have realized , blindly following California ’ s sure-to-fail approach is not the only option . Ensuring the necessary infrastructure is in place and allowing for a range of technological solutions to prevail , rather than one-size-fits-all mandates , is how we succeed together on the road to zero emissions .”
� OBITUARY : JOE PAUK
Joseph S . Pauk , 67 , of Oxford , Massachusetts , died on Nov . 15 , at his home . A graduate of Saint John ’ s High School in Shrewsbury , Mass ., Pauk worked in the oil business , having owned Worcester Tank & Equipment , later owning BWG Specialized Products . Most recently he was employed at Trask Petroleum Co .
He was predeceased by his wife , Tracy ( Quist ) Pauk in 2010 . He is survived by their daughter , Brittany Pauk Martins ; a grandson , a sister , Rosemary Leone , and extended family . He was born in Worcester .
He loved to golf with his friends in the Worcester Police Golf League and was an avid bowler and Red Sox supporter . In lieu of flowers , donations in his memory may be made to Jack Barry Little League . l FON
8 JANUARY 2024 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www . fueloilnews . com