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 r...
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