CARB Public Hearing on Off-Road Regulation – March 11, 2010
After a significant push by the Construction Industry Air Quality Coalition (CIAQC), its members and a Petition for Emergency Relief filed by the Associated General Contractors (AGC), the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will hold a public hearing March 11, 2010 on the need for additional modifications to the Off-Road Regulation due to the down economy. This could lead to further relief with changes to the regulation by the end of the year!
The hearing will be conducted by CARB’s Executive Officer and will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the Byron Sher Auditorium at the Cal EPA Headquarters (1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814).
It is critically important that contractors and construction equipment owners attend the hearing to tell CARB how they have been affected by the recession and how compliance with the Off-Road Regulation will further hurt your company’s ability to remain in business.
Information that can help demonstrate this includes:
A comparison of company data from 2006 to 2010, including:
- Number of employees
- Revenue
- Size of fleet
- Bonding capacity
- Ability to finance/borrow
- Fuel consumption
- Equipment idled or parked
- Emission reductions due to these changes
What has your company done to comply with the regulation already:
- Retrofits installed
- Engine repowers
- Purchased new equipment
- Sold equipment
- How much have these efforts cost to date?
What are your company’s future plans to achieve compliance over the next three years:
- Further shrinkage of fleet and employees?
- Close business?
- How will this affect your company’s project capacity?
- How much will it cost?
- When do you anticipate the construction industry will recovery from the recession?
As an immediate action, CIAQC recommends that CARB delay implementation of the regulation for two years. This will give the air board time to reanalyze the data underpinning the regulation, determine to what extent emission reductions are needed from the regulation, and provide some relief for contractors struggling to find a way to stay in business.
If you are not able to attend the hearing but would like CIAQC to carry your message to CARB, send a copy of your comments to Mike Lewis (mike@lewisandco.net ) or Clayton Miller (clayton@lewisandco.net) or contact us at (626) 858-4611.
To see a copy of the CARB hearing notice with further details about the regulation, a description of the AGC Petition for relief, CARB’s response to the petition, topics solicited for the hearing, the hearing procedures, agency contacts and how to submit comments visit CARB's web site at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/nonreg/inuse2010.pdf