Comment Log Display

Dear Members of the California Air Resources Board:

I truly hope that the CARB understands what is happening in our
state's construction industry.  The private home building sector
is in the worst situation it has been in years and will remain so
at least for the next 18 months and the commercial sector is about
to fall into the same predictament.  Public works funds are slow in
coming and continue to fall short of what our real infrastructure
needs are. High fuel prices, the upcoming state budget deficit,
labor costs, the general high cost of doing business in Califnria,
etc. are squeezing us.   Bottom line, the construction industry is
facing some of the toughest times it has ever faced. The flawed
off-road diesel regulation will be yet another dagger that will
have a profound, negative impact on California’s infrastructure
rebuilding efforts, the health of the state’s construction
industry and its overall economy. 

While all of us want improved air quality, these rules are too
complex and complicated, are extremely capital intensive, require
the use of technology that does not yet exist, will force the
downsizing of companies, penalizes us for recent  purchases that
were legal, and will pass the burden to customers that have
already been strangled by fuel, material and labor cost increases.
 Thsi is a recipe for setting our industry back for many years to
come - more lost jobs, less businesses, lower tax revenue, etc.  
And unbelievably, with this rule CARB, for the first time, it is
retroactively regulating the consumer of equipment rather than the
manufacturers - this is totally absurd!  

  
You have heard this before, but I echo our industry's situation
here: Bejac Corporation is very supportive of reducing particulate
matter (PM) and NOx emissions from diesel engines. There is no
disagreement that we need to work collectively to improve the
state’s air quality and all of us want to provide as healthy an
environment as possible for our employees on our job sites, but we
need to make sure we do it in away that keeps the state moving
forward and with consideration for both the environment and the
economy. 

Sincerely, 
Bejac Corporation
Ron Barlet
President