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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.

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