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newsrel -- Gold country waste hauler fined $18,375 for emissions violations

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 11:46:29
Diesel emissions produce the most prevalent airborne carcinogen
in California's air. 

Release 09-86
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2009
	  	  	
Dimitri Stanich
916-322-2825
www.arb.ca.gov

Gold country waste hauler fined $18,375 for emissions
violations

SACRAMENTO- The California Air Resources Board fined Waste
Connections Inc. $18,375 in July for emissions violations in
2008.

In December 2008, Waste Connections Inc., headquartered in
Folsom, Calif., purchased S.E.I. Solid Waste Inc. located in
Arnold, Calif. Waste Connections then self-disclosed to ARB
inspectors that S.E.I vehicles were not compliant with
California's trash truck rules.

"Solid waste collection companies must do their part to ensure
their fleets make improvements to cut excessive diesel
emissions," said Chairman Mary D. Nichols. "ARB commends this
company for the commitment to clean air demonstrated by its
self-reporting the problem."

Waste Connections provided an aggressive schedule for bringing
the fleet into compliance, as well as submitting to a statewide
audit for all of their California terminals for compliance with
the ARB's smoke inspection, engine labeling and trash truck
programs.

The law requires owners of California-registered truck fleets to
regularly inspect their vehicles to ensure that their engine
emissions meet state air quality standards.

As part of the settlement, Waste Connections is required to:

    * Guarantee employees responsible for conducting the
inspections attend a California Community College training class
on diesel emissions compliance testing and provide certificates
of completion within one year;
    * Provide documentation to ARB that timely inspections are
being carried out for the next four years;
    * Ensure all applicable heavy-duty diesel vehicles have
their software updated with the latest low-NOx (oxides of
nitrogen emissions) programming;
    * Instruct vehicle operators to comply with the state's
idling regulations;
    * Retrofit, repower or replace the appropriate number of
solid waste collection vehicles with the best available control
technology;
    * Comply with all requirements applicable to solid waste
collection vehicles; and,
    * Ensure all diesel truck engines are up to federal
emissions standards for the vehicle model year and are properly
labeled with an emission control certification label. 

Waste Connections paid $18,375 in penalties: $13,781.25 went to
the California Air Pollution Control Fund for projects and
research to improve California's air quality. The Peralta
Community College District received $2,296.88 to fund emissions
education classes conducted by participating California community
colleges; and, the remaining $2,296.87 went to the California
Pollution Control Financing Authority which guarantees loans to
off-road vehicle fleets that need to buy exhaust retrofits to
comply with state regulations.

Diesel exhaust contains a variety of harmful gases and over 40
other known cancer-causing substances. In 1998, California
identified diesel exhaust as a toxic air contaminant based on its
potential to cause cancer, premature death and other health
problems. New research links vehicle exhaust and lung cancer
mortality in trucking industry workers exposed to diesel and
other types of vehicle emissions with increasing years of work.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and
protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through
effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and
considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air
pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain
health based air quality standards.

The energy challenge facing California is real. Every
Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy
consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and
cut your energy cost, see our web site at http://www.arb.ca.gov

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