SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board has fined Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc., a hazardous waste disposal provider and cleaning products manufacturer, $43,500 this month for diesel truck emission violations that occurred in 2006 and 2007 throughout California.

An ARB audit found that the company did not conduct the mandatory fleet inspections at locations in Sylmar, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, El Monte, Highland, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Fresno, Oakland, Reedley, Rohnert Park, Sacramento, and Salida.

"By ensuring that inspections are carried out, fleet owners can be confident that they are helping clean up California's air," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "Companies that are not performing these tasks will be cited in our continuing effort to improve air quality."

As part of the settlement, Safety-Kleen must comply with the following:

• Guarantee employees that are responsible for conducting the inspections attend a mandatory California community college training class on diesel emissions and provide certificates of completion within one year;
• Instruct employees and drivers on ARB's truck idling regulations;
• Provide documentation to ARB that the inspections are being carried out for the next four years; and,
• Ensure that all diesel trucks are up to federal emissions standards for the vehicle model year, are properly labeled with the manufacturer's factory engine certification label, and have the latest software update.

The company will pay $43,500 in penalties: $32,625 will go to the California Air Pollution Control Fund, which provides funding for projects and research to improve California's air quality, with the remaining $10,875 going to Peralta Community College District to fund emission education classes conducted by participating California community colleges under the California Council for Diesel Education and Technology.

A decade ago, the ARB listed diesel particulate matter as a toxic air contaminant in order to protect public health. Exposure to unsafe levels of diesel emissions can increase the risk of asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory diseases. California has aggressively worked to cut diesel emissions by cleaning up diesel fuel, requiring cleaner engines for trucks, buses and off-road equipment, and limiting unnecessary idling.