Supreme Court Rejects Need for Environmental Study of Mexican Trucks
he Supreme Court on Monday ruled the Bush administration can skip an environmental study and open U.S. highways to Mexican trucks as soon as it wishes.
he justices unanimously overturned a ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that federal environmental law required the Department of Transportation to study the impact from the trucks on air quality.
Currently, most trucks bringing freight to the United States from Mexico are allowed no farther than commercial zones along the border, where they transfer freight to U.S. trucks and return. Mexican trucks have been banned from operating on other U.S. highways for more than 20 years.
"Today's decision represents another important step in the continued growth of the American economy and the trucking industry," said American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves.
"By upholding actions taken by President Bush and the U.S. Department of Transportation in support of NAFTA, the Supreme Court has opened the door for the continued improvement of the North American freight transportation system which will help increase trade between the United States, Canada and Mexico in a safe, efficient and seamless manner," Graves said.
DOT did an initial environmental review and decided an extensive study was not required, Reuters reported. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the court's opinion that the Transportation Department did not violate the law or environmental regulations, and that it did not have to do a full environmental review.
President Bush had said in November 2002 that Mexican trucks should be allowed on roads throughout the country, which would bring the United States in compliance with a provision of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
But environmental, labor, consumer and trucking groups claimed DOT underestimated the impact older Mexican trucks would have on air quality in border states.
The ruling was vied as a victory for somme in the trucking industry including Celadon Group Inc., which told Bloomberg News it could employ lower-paid Mexican drivers to carry goods to and from U.S. cities, and save the time and expense of having to transfer loads at the border.
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