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May 3, 2002 9:28 AM, EDT

The 9th U.S. Court of appeals in San Francisco rejected a request by a coalition of environmental, public advocacy, trucking industry and labor groups to prevent Mexican trucks from operating in the United States, the Associated Press reported early Friday morning.

The suit, filed by a group including the California Trucking Association, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and the California Federation of Labor, was asking for an emergency injunction to block federal regulations set to take effect Friday that would clear the way for nearly 30,000 Mexican-based trucks to be operated within the U.S. (Click here for related coverage.)

The American Trucking Associations, of which the CTA is a member, issued a statement Thursday in opposition to the suit.

The court issued its decision late Thursday, just one day after the coalition filed its suit, AP said.

The suit alleged that the DOT did not conduct a thorough analysis of the environmental impact of allowing Mexican trucks onto American roads, the AP said.