Comment Log Display

Our association has over 100 small business members in California,
and we would like to express our concern about the California Air
Resources Board’s current on-road diesel truck and bus regulation.
We believe that if implemented as presently drafted, this
regulation would have a profound, negative impact on California’s
economy. 

Our industry supports improving the state’s air quality and its
efforts to increase the state’s use of alternative fuels.  However,
due to the realities of the vehicle market, a significant portion
of the state’s medium- and heavy-duty vehicles operate on
conventional fuels. Due to the current economic crisis both
California and the entire nation is facing, this proposal with its
current timeline puts small businesses at a significant economic
risk, especially when the proposal asks companies to dispose of
equipment and assets before its useful life has been completed and
purchase new equipment. 

Given the multi-billion dollar cost of this regulation and the
current volatile economic environment, please give strong
consideration to the alternative proposal proposed by the Driving
Toward a Cleaner California Coalition. The alternative proposal
will give companies the opportunity to comply with a more flexible
timeframe while still attaining aggressive emission reductions.

Sincerely,
Michael Caldarera
Vice President, Regulatory and Technical Services 
National Propane Gas Association
Washington, DC