California Board Approves Diesel Soot-Trap Retrofit

The California Air Resources Board gave approval to a plan that would require 1.25 million diesel engine owners to retrofit their engines with soot traps.

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Environmentalists applauded the plan, but representatives of the trucking industry submitted an alternative strategy involving grants to help carriers buy cleaner equipment that would be paid for by a $50 fee for all trucks that operate in the state.

California already has the strictest air quality standards in the country. This plan would take much stricter emissions limits proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for truck engines in 2007 and make them even tougher by adding the retrofit requirement — which CARB estimates will cost up to $9,500 for 475-horsepower engines.

CARB approved the new master plan for dealing with diesel engines of all types Sept. 28, but the specific regulations to implement each part of the plan must still be written and endorsed.

For the full story, see the Oct. 9 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.