SACRAMENTO - The California Air Resources Board fined waste removal company EDCO Disposal Corporation $219,500 last month for emissions violations during 2005 and 2006.

An ARB investigation showed Southern California based, EDCO was in compliance with the state's trash truck emissions rule, but had failed to perform the annual smoke inspection test on some of its diesel trucks as required by law at its Agua Mansa, Armour, Buena Park, Escondido, Fallbrook, Federal, Long Beach, Ramona and San Marcos facilities.

''Companies that routinely inspect their diesel fleet help improve the air quality and overall public health of their community," said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols.

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

As part of the settlement, EDCO Disposal 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; 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.

EDCO Disposal paid $219,500 in penalties: $164,812.50 went to the California Air Pollution Control Fund for projects and research to improve California's air quality. The Peralta Community College District received $27,468.75 to fund emissions education classes conducted by participating California community colleges. The remaining $27,468.75 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 compounds. In 1998, California identified diesel particulate matter as a toxic air contaminant based on its potential to cause cancer, premature death and other health problems.

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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