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onrdiesel -- Amendments to the Truck and Bus Regulation are now in effect.
Posted: 15 Dec 2011 13:21:04
On Wednesday, December 14, 2011, the Office of Administrative Law approved amendments to the Truck and Bus Regulation. The amendments are effective immediately, with the first compliance date being January 1, 2012. By that date, fleets with vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 26,000 pounds must do either of the following: - Retrofit 1996-1999 model year engines with Air Resources Board (ARB) verified particulate matter (PM) filters, OR - Have 30 percent of the heavier vehicles in the fleet equipped with a PM filter (either a retrofitted verified PM filter or an original equipment PM filter installed on a 2007 or later model-year vehicle). There are no PM filter requirements for trucks with a GVWR of between 14,000 and 26,001 pounds, or for small fleets (1 to 3 trucks). Be advised that truck owners must report to ARB by January 31, 2012 to take advantage of the PM filter phase-in option or other flexibility provisions in the regulation. Small fleets (1 to 3 trucks) with a GVWR greater than 14,000 pounds must also report to delay compliance for their heavier trucks until January 1, 2014. The online reporting system and user guide are available at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onrdiesel/reportinginfo.htm. In order to avoid potential enforcement action by ARB, fleets that have not met the PM filter requirements by January 1, 2012 are strongly advised to make every effort to bring the fleet into compliance as soon as possible. Background On December 11, 2008, the Board approved for adoption the Truck and Bus regulation to control emissions from nearly all existing diesel powered heavy-duty trucks and buses operating in California. The regulation became effective under California law on January 8, 2010. The regulation applies to diesel fueled trucks and buses with a GVWR greater than 14,000 pounds that are owned by private persons, including businesses, and by the federal government. The regulation also applies to publicly and privately owned school buses. Local and state government owned diesel fueled trucks and non-school buses are already subject to other ARB regulations. Reducing emissions from in-use trucks and buses is necessary to meet federally imposed clean air standards and to reduce the adverse health effects from truck and bus pollution. On December 17, 2010, the staff recommended amendments to the regulation that were subsequently adopted by the Board on September 19, 2011 and approved by the Office of Administrative Law on December 14, 2011. The amended Truck and Bus Regulation delays the initial requirement to phase-in installation of PM filters by one year to January 1, 2012 and extends the time before a vehicle equipped with a PM filter would have to have an engine that meets 2010 model year emission standards. The amendments also defer initial engine replacements for older vehicles without PM filters for two years until January 1, 2015 at the earliest. Prior to 2020, replacements are limited only to 20 year old or older trucks that are not equipped with PM filters. By January 1, 2023, most vehicles will need to be equipped with an engine meeting 2010 model year emission standards.