The California Air Resources Board proposed amendments to its Truck and Bus Regulation which are designed to provide more flexibility to truckers and carriers working to upgrade aging equipment with environmentally friendly technology.
According to Heavy Duty Trucking, the proposed changes provide additional regulatory breathing room — such as flexible deadlines and increased opportunities to access incentive funding – to small fleets, lower mileage fleets and fleets in certain areas that have made substantial progress towards cleaner air. They include:
• A longer phase-in period for diesel particulate matter requirements for trucks that operate exclusively in certain rural areas with cleaner air;
• Additional time and a lower cost route for all small fleet owners to meet their PM compliance requirements, while reopening opportunities for these fleet owners to apply for and receive public incentive funding;
• A compliance route for owners currently unable to qualify for a loan to finance required upgrades;
• Adjusted schedules for low-use vehicles and certain work trucks; and
• Recognition of fleet owners who took action to comply by providing additional “useable life” for retrofit trucks and reducing near-term compliance requirements.
“The trucking community spoke and we listened,” said CARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. “The good news is that we will not have to sacrifice the state’s air quality goals to assist fleet owners.”
She added that if the board approves the changes, fleet owners who have already made investments to upgrade their vehicles will be provided with some benefits including additional time beyond what is currently allowed to keep trucks they have retrofitted.
CARB members will consider the changes at an April 24 hearing.
Click here for more details on the proposal.
