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CLEAN TRUCKS * USA - The new rules of the road
Truckers worry that the move could also do serious damage to their livelihood, upon which nearly all Californians depend
Tracy,CAL,USA -Tracy Press, by Jennifer Wadsworth -28 May 2008: -- ... The state air board could decide to clamp down on diesel exhaust, making the air safer for valley residents. But truckers worry that the move could also do serious damage to their livelihood, upon which nearly all Californians depend... With diesel up to a $5-a-gallon average and transportation workers across the state demanding an increase in long-stagnant wages, proposed air quality rules that require expensive retrofits to curb diesel emissions could put California truckers in a tighter spot than many can handle, according to many industry experts... In Tracy, at least a handful of companies like Grobe’s could risk going out of business, as the cost of trucking anything anywhere gets more expensive... The regulations would demand emissions cuts in two phases. Under the first phase, trucks made before 1998 will need to be retrofitted by 2010 to match emissions standards in 2007-model trucks. The second phase would require that by 2021 all trucks and buses meet emission standards of those made in 2010. That means owners would need to retrofit their fleets twice or buy new trucks to comply... A 1994 model diesel truck, worth $11,000, would require up to a $20,000 retrofit, according to the regulations... The filter’s price would be more like $30,000 per truck counting installation, he added. That’s much more than the air board projected in its first few proposals... "But the reality is they demand we put on these $30,000 retrofits and then they’d phase out those trucks anyway by 2015. What can you do?" ... For the past five years, Tracy trucking company owner Steve Grobe has already been selling off his fleet to Mexico, Russia and Vietnam. From 50 trucks two years ago, he’s downsized his fleet to 35. In 2012, he plans to sell the rest, probably at a loss, to Mexican buyers... But even if truckers have to foot the bill, it’s a small price to pay for the public health benefit, said Bonnie Holmes-Gen, senior policy director for the lung association... "These trucks are the largest source of diesel emissions in the state. And they’re finally regulating what’s really the largest source of diesel pollution here."... (Photo by Glenn Moore/Tracy Press - New regulations could force trucking companies to make their trucks cleaner, but it could come at a hefty cost to businesses and consumers)Labels: "Clean Trucks" Program
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