Title
Supervisor Nutting recommending the Board submit a letter to the California Air Resource Board (CARB) requesting changes to the implementation of the Truck and Bus Regulation, Title 17 California Code of Regulations Section 2025, to reduce the economic impact of compliance on trucking companies.
Body
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost: None
Background:
On December 12, 2008, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved the Truck and Bus regulation to reduce particulate matter (PM), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from existing diesel vehicles operating in California. The regulation applies to nearly all diesel fueled trucks and buses with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 14,000 pounds that are privately or federally owned, and for privately and publicly owned school buses. Other public fleets, solid waste collection trucks and transit buses are already subject to other regulations and are not part of the truck and bus regulation.
The Truck and Bus regulation includes a series of compliance dates for small (14,000- 26,000 lbs) and large (>26,000 lbs) trucks. The majority of truck owners will need to install PM filters on their model year 1999 (small) and 2006 (large) and older trucks by January 1, 2014, and/or completely replace the truck sometime in the next two to ten years.
Compliance costs are considerable. The cost to purchase and install a diesel PM filter is reported to be a minimum of $16,000 per truck. New truck replacement cost is well over $100,000 per truck.
Reason for Recommendation:
Exposure to diesel PM and NOx is known to produce adverse health effects including asthma, bronchitis and premature death. Reducing diesel PM and NOx emissions will result in measurable health benefits for all Californians, including El Dorado County residents. However, if the Truck and Bus regulation is implemented as currently written, the cost to truck company owners for compliance with Truck and Bus rule will result in measureable health reductions from reduced income and unemployment.
El Dorado County trucking companies have expressed concern over the excessive compliance costs. The owner of one company, that has been in business in El Dorado County since 1948, stated the costs will force him to close his business. Another, that has been in business in El Dorado County for over 30 years and employs over 250 people, has stated that the cost of replacing just their water trucks will be over $1,000,000. Water truck operations are a vital component of dust control activities during construction in the naturally occurring asbestos and other areas. ARB staff estimates that 10,000 to 15,000 California trucking companies will likely be out of compliance by January 1, 2014.
Supervisor Nutting recommends the Board approve and the Chair sign a letter to the CARB suggesting changes to regulation implementation including increasing the exemption for low use trucks, reopening the opt-in period for trucks used in construction activities, increasing grant funding and expanding eligibility for grants and loans, delaying compliance dates and exercising enforcement discretion by recognizing good faith efforts to comply.
Action to be taken following Board approval:
Chairman sign letter to CARB requesting changes to the Truck and Bus regulation. Letter will be submitted as written comment to ARB Agenda Item 13-9-5 Status Update to the Board on Implementation of the Truck and Bus Regulation to be heard after 1:00 pm on Thursday October 24, 2013. Dave Johnston with the El Dorado County Air Quality Managment District (AQMD) will hand deliver the letter.
Contact:
AQMD contact - Dave Johnston 621-7578