Attention Contractors!
Truck & Bus Regulation - CARB Announces Reporting Deadline Extension
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has issued a notice indicating that the January 31, 2012 reporting deadline for the Truck & Bus Regulation is being extended to March 30, 2012. Click here to see a copy of the January 2012 Regulatory Advisory with information about the reporting deadline and other requirements. It is important to know that:
"This change does not extend the particulate matter filter and other compliance requirements that began January 1, 2012. To avoid potential enforcement action by the Air Resources Board (ARB), fleets that have not met these requirements are strongly advised to make every effort to bring the fleet into compliance as soon as possible."
Visit CARB's Truck and Bus Regulation webpage for more about the regulation, including links to the Final Regulation, Fact Sheets, Compliance Tools, Reporting, Training and Exhaust Retrofits.
Look for additional updates from the Construction Industry Air Quality Coalition (CIAQC) when they become available.
Truck & Bus Regulation - CARB Announces Additional Training Dates for Reporting & Compliance Courses
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is conducting a series of courses to help truck & bus owners learn how to comply with the Truck & Bus Regulation and how to use the on-line reporting system. Requirements for the regulation began January 1, 2012 and are phased in through January 1, 2023. To take advantage of alternate compliance schedules or other flexibility in the regulation, fleets must report by January 31, 2012. The courses that were recently added are listed below. To see a complete list of all the course dates, locations and information about them, click here to go to the CARB website. There is no cost to attend the training course, and a link to register for a class is available on the CARB webpage linked above.
The Truck and Bus and Tractor-Trailer GHG Reporting Training will cover:
- The Truck and Bus and Tractor-Trailer GHG Reduction Regulation requirements;
- How to use the automated Truck and Bus Fleet Calculator;
- How to report using the Truck Regulation Upload, Compliance and Reporting System (TRUCRS).
Air Board Compliance Deadline for Trucks and Buses - January 1, 2012
The California Air Resources Board release below is a last-minute reminder that the Truck and Bus Regulation goes into effect January 1, 2012. In additional to the information found in the release, CARB has a Diesel Activities webpage containing multiple links to various topics relevant to the regulation. Click here to go to the CARB Diesel Activities webpage to learn more about the requirements for diesel-fueled trucks that operate in California (including those used in the construction industry).
CARB Verifies Cleaire LongMile System and Announces that the Truck & Bus Regulation Online Reporting System Now Operational
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has issued a verification for the Cleaire LongMile emission reduction system for heavy-duty on-road vehicles for certified heavy-duty diesel engines. This follows CARB's decision on September 16, 2011 to suspend the sale, installation, leasing or offering for sale the Cleaire LongMile diesel emission control strategies and its direction to Cleaire to take remedial actions. Click here to see a copy of the Executive Order and here to see additional information about the system.
CARB has also released the following information about the availability of the online reporting system required for the Truck and Bus Regulation. January 1, 2012 is the first compliance date for the regulation and January 31, 2012 is the reporting deadline for fleets that must report.
CARB Suspends Sales of Cleaire LongMile and Allmetal Systems
Effective September 16, 2011 the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has suspended the sale, installation, leasing or offering for sale the Cleaire LongMile and Allmetal diesel emission control strategies and directed Cleaire to take remedial actions. These systems are for use on on-road and off-road diesel engines. CARB states in its letter to Cleaire dated September 17, 2011, that field experiences for these systems indicate that they do not comply with the conditions for their verification and "they may experience a catastrophic failure mode that was previously unknown, creating concerns about the safe deployment of these systems."
CIAQC - Construction Industry Air Quality Update
1. California Air Resources Board (CARB) releases updated overview of the Off-Road Diesel Vehicle regulation. The overview summarizes the new timelines and performance requirements approved by the CARB board in December 2010. The overview also outlines the requirements currently in effect and being enforced now.
2. South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) releases Program Announcement for $60 million available in incentive funding for the SOON (Surplus Off-Road Opt-In for NOx) Program.
Update on Off-Road Equipment and On-Road Truck Regulations
In December 2010 the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved modifications to the Off-Road Equipment and On-Road Truck & Bus Regulations. The changes to the two rules provide a brief measure of relief by delaying the dates fleets must begin to upgrade or replace equipment and trucks. The updated regulatory language approved in December is still pending and is expected to be released for review and a 15-day comment period with the next two weeks. The Construction Industry Air Quality Coalition (CIAQC) will provide more on the two regulations including the Low-Mileage Exemption for construction trucks when they become available. So stay tuned!
In the mean time, CARB has recently released information about the Off-Road Equipment and Truck & Bus Regulations that contractors should be aware of. Please take a moment to review CARB's messages below and note the links for Enforcement Advisory 424 and a compliance tool for the Truck & Bus Regulation.
California Air Resources Board to Consider Major Changes to Off-Road Equipment and On-Road Truck Regulations at December Hearing
On Friday December 17, 2010, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will consider making significant changes to the Off-Road Equipment Regulation and modifications to On-Road Heavy-Duty Truck Regulation. The proposed changes will help reduce the enormous costs contractors must bear to comply with these regulations. The changes to the Off-Road Regulation are expected to provide a larger measure of relief from the current rule requirements than will those proposed for the On-Road Truck Regulation. While the proposed changes to the truck regulation are a move in the right direction, the Construction Industry Air Quality Coalition (CIAQC) does not believe they go far enough to help the construction industry still suffering from the devastating impacts of the economic downturn. For this reason, CIAQC is asking CARB to increase the low-use mileage threshold for trucks owned by contractors and those used to support the construction industry from 1,000 to 15,000 miles per year.
CARB Admits Huge Error! Attend Upcoming Workshops to Learn More.
California Air Resources Board (CARB) has scheduled a series of workshops (see schedule below) to review its most recent NOx and PM2.5 emissions inventories for the Off-Road Regulation. The updated inventories are roughly 20 percent of what they were originally estimated to be when the regulation was initially developed and adopted in 2007. The lower emissions inventory is attributable largely to revised fuel usage data, adjusted equipment load factors and an overall fleet that is smaller and newer than previous CARB estimates.
CARB Workshop Locations and Times Scheduled for Off-Road Equipment and On-Road Truck Regulations
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has scheduled five public workshops to discuss the Off-Road Equipment and On-Road Truck Regulations on the following dates, times and locations.
- Fresno, August 26, 2010
- El Monte, August 31, 2010
- San Diego, September 1, 2010
- Sacramento (will also be webcast), September 7, 2010
- Oakland, September 8, 2010