The trucking industry has become used to massive CARB fines for carriers who don’t update their trucks to meet emissions standards, but now it looks like the federal government is getting in on the action as well. For the first time ever, the EPA has issued a fine to a trucking company for failing to meet California’s rigorous clean-air laws.
According to the EPA, Estes Express Lines failed to equip its older model trucks with diesel particulate filters (DPFs), and in doing so illegally polluted the air in California in violation of the California Truck and Bus Regulation.
Estes has admitted that between 2012 and 2014 it operated 73 trucks in California that were not equipped with DPFs and has agreed to pay a penalty of $100,000. It will also have to contribute $250,000 to a program geared toward educating people and companies about clean air programs in the state.
According to Todd Sax, an enforcement division chief for the California Air Resources Board (CARB), this is just “the first of many cases” that CARB and the EPA will be bringing against carriers who fail to meet California’s regulations.
One major problem is that many carriers don’t even know about the rule that they may be breaking.
“This is a pretty unusual regulation,” says EPA regional administrator Jared Blumenfeld. “California was the first in the nation to put a rule for trucks and buses that are on the highway today, and roads. Most other states and even the federal legislation just deals with new engine models.”
To help combat this issue, Estes will also be fined $35,000 to fund a program which will teach out-of-state carriers about California regulations.
Source: overdrive, thebusinessjournal, capradio, truckinginfo, latimes
What a joke California is; talk about a hypocrite they can penalize people,carriers etc. for vehicle emissions but they can’t pass laws about food labeling and GMO’ s Good grief Calfornias wheels are about to fall off. If it wasn’t for our federal Gov. Shoving billions into keeping that state functioning, they’re bankrupt, they would implode.
I wish the federal government would just abolish CA entirely. Give it to Mexico even…it’s basically just an extension of it anyways. That state is a money grab. They literally rob people.
Has anyone noticed how California’s cleaner air seems to produce less rain and snow? It takes a particle of dust or soot or something for a rain drop or snow flake to form. Without something for the water vapor to cling to it won’t condense enough to fall to the ground. By eliminating to particulates from the air California is removing the ability for the water to fall. As a result the water vapor has to travel father east before it can condense enough to make precipitation and ends up dumping on Colorado and Texas causing bigger and bigger floods. That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it!
Why are the feds enforcing state law?
In the United States, emissions standards are managed on a national level by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). State and local governments may apply for waivers to enact stricter regulations.
Due to its preexisting standards and particularly severe motor vehicle air pollution problems in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the U.S. state of California has special dispensation from the federal government to promulgate its own automobile emissions standards. Other states may choose to follow either the national standard or the stricter California standards. States adopting the California standards include Arizona (2012 model year), Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico (2011 model year), New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia.Such states are frequently referred to as “CARB states” in automotive discussions because the regulations are defined by the California Air Resources Board.
The EPA has adopted the California emissions standards as a national standard by the 2016 model year and is collaborating with California regulators on stricter national emissions standards for model years 2017–2025.
Massachusetts Maine and Vermont are not carb compliant by any means. I run in those states on a daily basis so don’t lie ,
Ok… being a Canadian who learned most of what he knows about American law from television and the movies, I too am currious why a Federal Agency is enforcing a State level law… and does that mean only the feds are prosecuting, or is California going to be jumping on this wagon too? If both state and federal agencies prosecute independantly of each other, isn’t that kind of like that “double jeopardy” law? Being prosecuted twice for the same crime?
^^^^ EXCELLENT POINT!!
Why are FEDS Enforcing a STATE law !!????????
Hah, couldn’t happen to a nicer group of people to work for……
Here comes the driver wage cuts to cover the tab!!!
Best way to get educated on Cali law is to stay out of Cali.
This is what I have been saying for years. Back when the industry was taking about shutting down the country to get what they want, What we should be doings is shutting down one state at a time. Just refuse to do business in the state of California till they get off the truckers backs.
Well, you’ll find that will be hard to do, since the EPA has adopted the California emissions standards as a national standard by the 2016 model year and is collaborating with California regulators on stricter national emissions standards for model years 2017–2025.
Glad I live and truck north of 60 here in Canada. we still run our older trucks and let them idle 24 / 7 here in the winters.
Let the trucks ban California and see what they say then.
They knew about the law , most of what I seen of how the company operates ,it’s cheaper to pay the fine than obey laws, it covers, epa, dep, osha, and workers comp, irs, and others. No surprise here. The management in that particular company is not what I consider integrity based in any way.
I’ve personally boycotted California.
What ought to be done, is at the border of California, large distribution centers to be built where our freight can be dropped off at, then California’s Prius trucks can come and pick up their stuff and deliver it. It’d be a win win. We OTR folk don’t get hassled by California, and California gets their “clean air”.
Way I see it, with 60 million people concentrated in 4 cities, and the smog from China running the jet stream and dumping it at the rocky mountain baseline, California is screwed no matter what way they look at it.
73 trucks … so 350 thousand divided by 73 equals about 5000 dollars.. divided by 2 years equals 2500 a year… divided by 12 months equals 200 a month or 50 dollars per truck per week… A DPF filter us 15 thousand per truck so thats 73 x 15000 is a million and one hundred thousand.. so It looks like Estes saved 750 thousand dollars.. So Good job Estes…..