The Air Resources Board's Enforcement Efforts Stepped Up in 2006

SACRAMENTO - The ARB's enforcement program has grown to keep pace with an array of operational demands from testing heavy-duty diesel vehicles for smoke emissions and tampering, intercepting imports of illegal vehicles, engines and consumer products; to keeping school buses from idling too long and too close to children's developing lungs. The program's growth has been accompanied by an increase in the number of enforcement actions in 2006 of more than 26% from the year before.

"Keeping California in compliance is a big job, but it is a crucial task to keep moving toward our goal of clean air," said ARB Chairman Dr. Robert Sawyer.

The ARB 2006 Annual Report of Enforcement Activities key highlights are:

• 1,992 cases/citations closed
• $6.7 million in penalties collected
• More than 70 inspections in Environmental Justice areas (881 violations issued)
• Over 17,000 heavy-duty vehicles inspected
• Over 4,300 commercial vehicle and school bus idling inspections
• Over 800 gasoline cargo tank trucks inspected
• More than 523 million gallons of gasoline represented in sampling
• More than 230 million gallons of diesel fuel represented in sampling
• More than 14,000 inspections for red-dyed diesel fuel
• Over 2,600 consumer product samples gathered during inspections
• More than 500 inspections of portable fuel containers and spouts
• More than 1,300 locomotive inspections (33 violations issued)
• Over 140 training programs
• Emphasized enforcement of the school bus/delivery vehicle idling program
• Increased enforcement of commercial vehicle idling

Violations of California's air quality laws and regulations range from minor breaches of the State's regulations to criminal actions. The enforcement program ensures the ARB's research, modeling and assessment; and development and adoption of regulations achieve the anticipated emission reductions for a healthier California.

The ARB is responsible for controlling emissions from statewide sources of air pollution, mobile sources, toxic air contaminants and consumer products. Additionally, ARB oversees the efforts of 35 local air pollution agencies. To review the ARB 2006 Annual Report of Enforcement Activities, please visit here.

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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