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United Pacific Waste fined for emissions violations. 

Release 09-23b
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
March 17, 2009 
     
Karen Ceasar 
(626) 575-6728
www.arb.ca.gov 

Waste hauler fined $ 22,500 for emissions violations

SACRAMENTO- The California Air Resources Board fined a Los
Angeles area waste collection company $22,500 last month for
emissions violations in 2007.

An ARB investigation showed United Pacific Waste, based in Pico
Rivera, Calif., failed to properly inspect their diesel powered
vehicles. In addition, they did not comply with the solid waste
collection vehicle rule by neglecting to install proper
emission-reduction devices, required by law.

"Incredible technological progress has been made to cut diesel
emissions from solid waste vehicles," said ARB Chairman Mary D.
Nichols. "Applying these technologies is part of doing business
in California."

The law requires owners of California-registered truck fleets to
regularly inspect their vehicles to ensure that their engine
emissions meet state air quality standards.

As part of the settlement, the waste collection company is
required to: 

Guarantee employees responsible for conducting the inspections
attend a training class on diesel emissions compliance testing
and provide certificates of completion within one year;

Provide documentation to ARB that the inspections are being
carried out for the next four years; 

Ensure all heavy-duty diesel vehicles have their software
updated with the latest low-NOx (oxides of nitrogen emissions)
programming; 

Instruct vehicle operators to comply with the state's idling
regulations; 

Retrofit the appropriate number of solid waste collection
vehicles with the best available control technology; 
Comply with all requirements applicable to solid waste
collection vehicles; and, 

Ensure all diesel truck engines are up to federal emissions
standards for the vehicle model year and are properly labeled
with an emission control certification label. 

United Pacific Waste will pay $22,500 in penalties: $16,875 will
go to the California Air Pollution Control Fund, providing
funding for projects and research to improve California's air
quality. The Peralta Community College District will receive
$2,812.50 to fund emissions education classes conducted by
participating California community colleges. The California
Pollution Control Financing Authority will receive the remaining
$2,812.50 to fund low-interest loans for owners of off-road
diesel-powered construction vehicles.

Diesel exhaust contains a variety of harmful gases and over 40
other known cancer-causing substances. In 1998, California
identified diesel exhaust as a toxic air contaminant based on its
potential to cause cancer, premature death and other health
problems. New research links vehicle exhaust and lung cancer
mortality in trucking industry workers exposed to diesel and
other types of vehicle emissions with increasing years of work.

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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