Rolling Coal May Soon Be Banned in New Jersey

Over the last few months, rolling coal has been picking up steam, led by angry truck drivers that are searching for outlets to protest and fire out their fury. This movement, however, may soon be coming to an end in New Jersey because of an incident involving a state legislator.

Recently, New Jersey state legislator Tim Eustace was driving his Nissan Leaf electric vehicle on the New Jersey Turnpike when a diesel truck equipped with twin smoke stacks decided to fart out the infamous “rolling coal” black cloud of smoke.

“People had been telling this has been going on, but I hadn’t seen it,” Eustace said. “I was surprised to experience it myself.”

The incident aggravated Eustace so much that he has now embarked on a crusade to end the practice altogether. Within the last week, Eustace has introduced bill A3583, which would prohibit “retrofitting diesel-powered vehicles to increase particular emissions for the purpose of ‘coal rolling,’”

If passed, the bill would allow the Department of Environmental Protection to levy huge fines on violators.

It is a bill that will piggy back on current DEP regulations that are already in effect and state, “[Vehicles] shall not emit visible smoke, whether from crankcase emissions or from tailpipe exhaust, for a period in excess of three consecutive seconds.”

In essence, the bill doesn’t really add anything to the current regulations. Instead, it is more of a statement aimed at condemning the whole rolling coal culture, which Eustace doesn’t believe to be any legitimate protest against current “scientific consensus.”

Eustace says, “I wish it was thought out. I think it is just youthful ignorance.”