Truck and Bus Regulation: Update and Benefits

• The Truck and Bus Regulation (regulation) was adopted in 2008 to significantly reduce toxic particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen emissions (NOx) from existing diesel vehicles operating in California. In 2010, regulatory amendments provided economic relief to truckers affected by the recession.
• The existing regulation requires nearly all heavier trucks to have filters to reduce PM emissions beginning January 1, 2012, and replacement of older trucks starting January 1, 2015.
• By January 1, 2023, all trucks and buses operating in most urban areas and in regions not meeting federal clean air standards will need 2010 or newer model year engines. The 2010 engines reduce NOx and PM exhaust emissions by 90 percent relative to engines produced as recently as 2006.
• A regulatory advisory issued November 13, 2013 recognized “good faith” efforts to comply made before January 1, 2014. Fleets that make and report specified good faith efforts would not be subject to enforcement action prior to July 1, 2014.
• The Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) is currently undertaking efforts to assist fleets with the transition to cleaner equipment to ensure the emission benefits of the regulation. This includes continued compliance assistance, incentive funding opportunities, and proposed regulatory changes.

ARB provides compliance assistance to truckers through training, workshops, the Diesel hotline, and by publishing factsheets and web-based materials. Assistance is available in English, Spanish, and Punjabi.

Available incentive programs include the Statewide truck loan assistance program for small fleets, local Carl Moyer funding for clean truck vouchers (through air districts), and Statewide Carl Moyer funding for clean log trucks. Additionally, the proposed regulatory changes below may provide fleets new opportunities to access incentive funding.

Staff has proposed amendments that will better protect the emission and health benefits of the regulation by providing new flexible compliance options for small fleets, low mileage fleets, and fleets operated exclusively in certain areas that have made substantial progress towards cleaner air. The proposed amendments will save affected fleets over $400 million in compliance costs through 2023.

• Provide additional time for small fleets to meet the filter requirement on their second and third truck to 2016 and 2018, respectively.
• Allow fleet owners, unable to qualify for a loan, to postpone compliance on up to three trucks; then, by 2018, the fleet owner must replace the trucks with 2010 or newer engines.
• Spread out the filter phase-in requirements through 2018 for work trucks that travel less than 20,000 miles per year.
• Increase the low-use exemption threshold for all trucks operating fewer than 5,000 total miles per year until 2020, and remove hour limits on power take off (PTO) use for all trucks.
• Recognize additional areas that meet clean air standards (“NOx Exempt Areas”) and provide additional time for trucks operated exclusively in these regions to install PM filters between 2015 and 2020.
• Recognize fleets that made early compliance investments by extending compliance credits. In addition, fleets that retrofitted vehicles by 2014 can delay replacement until 2023.
• More gradually reduce the annual mile limitations for low-mileage agricultural vehicles.
• Provide additional compliance options for fleets that consist primarily of older trucks.
• Update the compliance options for heavy cranes, log trucks, and cattle livestock trucks.

A more detailed description on the proposed changes can be found on ARB’s website at www.arb.ca.gov/truckstop , as well as in the staff report supporting the proposed amendments. The Board will consider the proposed amendments at its April 2014 meeting. Stakeholders are encouraged to review the proposed amendments and provide comments on them. For more information on the proposed amendments, or to submit comments on them, please see ARB’s webpage at www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onrdiesel/amend14.htm .

• Diesel trucks and buses are a significant source of harmful emissions. They contributed to 43 percent of diesel PM and 29 percent of statewide NOx emissions in 2010.
• Diesel PM is the largest contributor of known ambient air toxic cancer risk in California. It also poses adverse health impacts, including increased hospital admissions, asthma rates, and cases of acute bronchitis.
• Regulation provides significant health benefits:
  • Approximately 3,500 premature deaths statewide will be avoided from successful implementation of the regulation.
  • The regulation, including the proposed amendments, is a key strategy in reducing the potential cancer risks associated with diesel PM by 85 percent by 2020.
• Regulation provides significant air quality benefits:
  • Reductions provided by the regulation are necessary to meet the national ambient air quality standards for PM2.5 by 2014.
  • Reductions in NOx are necessary to meet the national ambient air quality standards for ozone by 2023.
  • South Coast and San Joaquin Valley air basins most dependent on emission reductions from trucks to achieve the national standards. The proposed amendments better protects that the emission reductions needed in these areas are realized.
• Regulation provides significant air quality benefits:
  • Diesel engines are a source of black carbon, which increases climate warming, accelerates ice and snowmelt, and disrupts precipitation patterns.
  • Annual black carbon emissions in California decreased about 70 percent between 1990 and 2010 because of ARB regulations related to diesel fuels, fleet rules and emissions standards.

• The Carl Moyer Program has provided $77 million in funding for cleaner-than-required on-road engines and equipment.
• The Goods Movement Emission Reduction Program authorized by Proposition 1B funds has provided trucks moving goods in California’s four primary trade corridors $332 million. In addition, $143 million in clean truck projects are currently being processed.
• The Statewide truck loan assistance program has provided $30 million through a loan loss reserve account. This program helps higher risk borrowers qualify for loans.

Visit the Truck Stop at www.arb.ca.gov/truckstop , or call ARB’s Diesel Hotline 866-6DIESEL

To obtain this document in an alternative format or language please contact the ARB’s Helpline at (800) 242-4450 or at helpline@arb.ca.gov .
TTY/TDD/ Speech to Speech users may dial 711 for the California Relay Service.