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Leading bottled water company disregarded clean air laws.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr072908.htm Release 08-67
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2008

Contact:
Karen Caesar
(626) 575-6728
www.arb.ca.gov

ARB cites DS Waters $74,250 for air quality violations
Leading bottled water company disregarded clean air laws

Sacramento, CALIF. - This month the Air Resources Board fined DS
Waters of America, Inc., $74,250 for violations of California’s
clean air laws that require heavy-duty vehicle owners to inspect
their diesel fleets.

DS Waters, a leading bottled water company, violations’ occurred
in facilities located in Irvine, Lakeside, Orange, Riverside,
Santa Ana, Temecula, Chico, Fresno, Manteca, Milpitas,
Sacramento, Salinas, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Bakersfield,
Covina, Gardena, Lancaster, Los Angeles, Oxnard and Van Nuys.

An ARB investigation revealed that DS Waters, headquartered in
Atlanta, Ga., failed to inspect their diesel truck fleet for
excess emissions or document those inspections, as required by
law.

"The ARB will continue to enforce clean air regulations through
out California” said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. “Each penalty
should be taken as a lesson for companies who use non-compliance
as a basic business practice."

The California Air Pollution Control Fund, established to
mitigate sources of pollution through education advancement and
use of cleaner technology, will receive $55,687.50 from the
settlement. The remaining $18,562.50 will go to the Peralta
Community College District which fund the statewide diesel
technology education training and program for diesel operating
staff.

In addition to the fine, DS Waters has agreed to ensure that all
staff responsible for the compliance with state regulations
attend the community college diesel emissions education courses
and provide proof of completion within one year. DS Waters must
provide copies of all compliance records for 2008 and the
subsequent four years, and maintain proof that each vehicle in
its fleet meets emissions standards at least as stringent as the
federal standards, and also by maintaining their engine labels
for Low NOx/reflash compliance. Finally, the company’s vehicle
operators will be instructed to comply with state idling
regulations.

Each year in California, diesel particulate matter contributes
to an estimated 2,900 premature deaths, 3,600 hospital
admissions, 240,000 asthma attacks and respiratory symptoms and
600,000 lost workdays. Overall, diesel engine emissions are
responsible for the majority of California's potential airborne
cancer risk from combustion sources. Diesel pm has received a
considerable amount of ARB attention to insure the quality of
public health.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and
protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through
effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and
considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air
pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain
health based air quality standards.

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