Truck and Bus Regulation: Postponement of the March 31 Reporting Deadline

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Regulation Background

On December 11, 2008, the Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) approved for adoption the Truck and Bus regulation to control emissions from nearly all existing diesel powered heavy-duty trucks and buses operating in California. The regulation became effective under California law on January 8, 2010. The regulation applies to diesel fueled trucks and buses with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 14,000 pounds that are privately owned, federally owned, and to publicly and privately owned school buses. Local and state government owned diesel fueled trucks and buses are already subject to other ARB regulations. Reducing emissions from in-use trucks and buses is necessary to meet federally imposed clean air standards and to reduce the adverse health effects from truck and bus pollution.

On December 17, 2010, the staff recommended amendments, which are presently pending adoption, which would delay the initial requirement to install particulate matter (PM) retrofit filters by one year to January 1, 2012 and extend the time before a vehicle equipped with a PM filter would have to have an engine that meets 2010 model year emission standards. The amendments would also defer engine replacements for vehicles without PM filters two years until January 1, 2015. Prior to 2020, replacements would be limited to 20 year old or older trucks that are not equipped with PM filters. By January 1, 2023, most vehicles would still need to be equipped with an engine meeting 2010 model year emission standards.

Administrative Changes

Because the amendments will not become effective for at least several months, the following steps are being taken administratively to provide fleets with notice that certain requirements will be delayed pending approval by the Office of Administrative Law.

The initial deadline for fleet owners to report business and vehicle information for all agricultural vehicles that will use the agricultural vehicle provision is being extended by one month to April 29, 2011, to provide fleet owners with more time to report their fleet and business information. All fleets that qualify for the mileage based extension must also report odometer readings from January 1, 2011.

All specialty vehicles that met the requirements for the specialty vehicle exemptions and were reported by March 31, 2010, have been approved for the exemption. Additional vehicles that are eligible to be approved for the specialty vehicle exemption and are reported by April 29, 2011, could be approved until the allowable limits on the number of trucks that can be approved for the exemption are reached. Fleet owners should not label vehicles if they have not been approved for the exemption, unless the vehicle also meets the mileage limits. Fleet owners will be notified, by the ARB, whether additional vehicles in their fleet will approved for the exemption.

The date that agricultural vehicles that meet the requirements for the mileage based extensions and those that have been approved for the specialty vehicle exemption is being postponed. The vehicles must be labeled with the letters "AG" on the left and right door by June 1, 2011. Fleet owners must permanently affix or paint the letters "AG" in white block lettering that is three inches high on a five inch by eight inch black background and the label must be in clear view at all times. ARB will not issue the label.

The definition of "Farming Business" is being clarified by removing the requirement that the farm be "owned or leased". The original intent was to include all businesses that "cultivate, operate or manage" a farm. Removing this requirement will allow farm management companies that do not own or lease land to utilize the agricultural vehicle provision.

Fleets that operate two engine street sweepers with Tier 0 auxiliary engines must report by April 29, 2011 to satisfy their annual reporting requirements. Sweepers with Tier 0 auxiliary engines should already be labeled with the letters "SW" on both doors as specified in the regulation.

For More Information

For further information about training, compliance tools or the full text of the Truck and Bus Regulation, please visit our website at www.arb.ca.gov/dieseltruck, or call 866-6DIESEL (866-634-3735), or email us at 8666diesel@arb.ca.gov.

If you would like information regarding the enforcement of the regulation, please contact Mr. Les Simonson or Ms. Wendy Maienknecht at (916) 322-7061.