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Board seeks to accommodate businesses hurt by faltering economy.


Release 09-110
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2009
	  	  	
Leo Kay
916-322-2290
cell 916-849-9843
www.arb.ca.gov

ARB calls for new health report, directs staff to explore
regulatory flexibility for small businesses on diesel truck rule

SACRAMENTO: The Air Resources Board directed its staff today to
return to the Board next April with a new provision that would
provide truck fleets more flexibility in cleaning up their diesel
emissions under the state's Truck and Bus Rule that was adopted
in December of last year, in light of the recession's effect on
the industry.

ARB staff demonstrated that the down economy has reduced the
amount of time trucks have operated, thus reducing harmful diesel
emissions that would have occurred during normal economic times.

The Board also directed staff to withdraw and redo the health
report that carried Hien Tran's name since it was learned last
year that he falsely claimed he held a PhD in statistics from UC
Davis. The implementation of the rule will continue to be carried
out during this period.

The Board also neglected to second a motion by Board Members
John Telles, who wanted to repeal the diesel rule after learning
of a Tran's misconduct.

"With today's set of actions, we confidently set out to
revalidate the science supporting our rules and set up a process
to allow for more flexibility for small businesses in the
regulation given the down economy," ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols
said. "We take the employee misconduct very seriously but it
should not affect an extremely important public health measure
that has been extensively reviewed throughout the scientific
community. We have tightened up our procedures to ensure an
incident like this never happens again."

ARB passed the diesel truck and bus rule last December that
requires truck owners to install diesel exhaust filters on their
rigs by Jan. 1, 2011, with nearly all vehicles upgraded by 2014.
The regulation is estimated to prevent 9,400 premature deaths
over its lifetime.

To reduce diesel emissions and improve air quality and public
health, the ARB adopted a Diesel Risk Reduction Plan in 2000 and
has already passed regulations addressing urban buses, garbage
trucks, school bus and truck idling, stationary engines,
transport refrigeration units, cargo handling equipment at ports
and rail yards, off-road vehicles, port trucks and other
sources.

For more information on the Statewide Bus and Truck Regulation,
go here:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/2008/truckbus08/truckbus08.htm .


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.

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