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| California Big Rigs Forced To Go Green(er) |
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by Kathy Gottberg
Anyone who drives the I-10 Freeway here in the Coachella Valley will be happy to learn that in mid-December, California's Air Resources Board (ARB) adopted two critical regulations that directly address the harmful emissions from the estimated one million heavy-duty diesel trucks that operate in our state. Beginning January 1, 2011, the "Statewide Truck and Bus Rule" will require truck owners to install diesel exhaust filters on their rigs. Nearly all vehicles must be upgraded by 2014. Then, with a staggered implementation schedule that extends from 2012 to 2022, owners will be required to replace engines older than the 2010 model year.
The second regulation passed is the "Heavy
Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction" measure that requires
long-haul truckers to install fuel-efficient tires and aerodynamic
devices on their trailers that will lower gas emissions and improve
fuel economy.According to a news release by the California Environmental Protection Agency, heavy-duty big rigs are the largest remaining source of unregulated diesel emissions in our state, responsible for 32% of the smog-forming emissions and nearly 40 percent of the cancer-causing emissions from diesel mobile sources. California will be providing aid to truck owners to help carry about these new changes with more than one billion in funding opportunities. While Big Rig trucks have been gradually getting cleaner under current regulations, it is expected that diesel emissions under the new regulations will be 68% lower than they would have been without the changes. Overall, it is expected that these new regulations will prevent 9,400 premature deaths, improve air quality and reduce green house gases.
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