Ice cream truck owners are speaking out against a new proposal in New York City that would force them to adopt eco-friendly power sources, warning it would have a devastating impact on their bottom line.
Ice Cream Emergency owner Ed Lachterman and his wife Carol spoke out against the "ridiculous" proposal from inside their truck parked on FOX Square during "Fox & Friends" Monday.
"You can't even have solar in a home if you have trees that are too tall. How are you going to drive around the city and have a solar-powered truck in the concrete jungle?" Lachterman asked. "It's just ridiculous. You're going to have product costs going through the roof trying to convert something is crazy, and if you go battery, I'll need something twice as long to hold the batteries to run it."
Brooklyn Councilman Lincoln Restler introduced the proposal last week that would force ice cream trucks to ditch their fuel-powered generators for more climate-friendly alternatives over the course of the next three years.
Ice cream truck operators would be forced to rely on solar-powered or electric-powered machines, which could cost companies thousands, according to the New York Post.
"We'd probably have to raise our prices," Carol said.
Lachterman, a town council member in Yorktown, N.Y., slammed Restler for the policy, saying it would have a devastating impact on the economy and other small business owners alike.
"This guy is trying to put a law based on his agenda without thinking of anything, without thinking of the consequences, and that's not what you're in office to do," Lachterman said.
"You're there to help your constituents and to say, 'Oh, well, we're going to just start banning things,' all they're going to do is put people out of work, make the economy worse and just really destroy everything that we're trying to build up."
Critics say this proposal is just the latest development in the city's assault on small business owners.
Back in June, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) drafted new rules that would require pizzerias with coal and wooden-fire ovens installed prior to 2016 to cut carbon emissions by 75%, according to the New York Post.
Restaurant owners would be forced to install a filter to the specified ovens then hire an engineer to regularly inspect the carbon emissions.
"They're trying to go after your gasoline water heaters, your gas stoves... The sad thing is it's an attack on the hospitality industry, which is one of the biggest employers in New York City," Lachterman said.
The proposal comes after New York became the first state to ban natural gas connections in new buildings. Beginning in 2026, new buildings with seven or fewer stories will have to use induction and electric devices. Larger buildings will make the transition in 2029.
"New York is not going to have to worry about businesses because everyone's going to move out. You can't operate under these conditions."
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Fox News' Megan Myers and Teny Sahakian contributed to this report.
