Posted on 12/10/2008 8:40:28 PM PST by NormsRevenge
The black soot that big rig trucks belch from their chugging diesel engines may soon become a thing of the past.
In one of the more far-reaching smog regulations that California has ever proposed, state air regulators are considering a first-in-the-nation plan that would require nearly every privately owned, heavy diesel truck in the state to install a filter that would reduce emissions of soot from their rigs by 85 percent.
The new regulation would affect 1 million truckers, half of them registered out of state who regularly drive on California freeways. If approved by the California Air Resources Board at its meeting Friday, it would take effect in 2010, with nearly all trucks required to be retrofitted by 2014.
The filters - stainless steel and three feet long - attach to exhaust pipes and cost between $15,000 and $20,000 per truck. Those who back the proposal point to massive public health benefits. Opponents call the costs prohibitive especially during a time of economic crisis.
Supporters note that medical research the past decade shows that microscopic diesel particles are among the most harmful type of air pollution. Not only can they lodge deep in the lungs during regular exposure, they also can penetrate the walls of blood vessels, causing inflammation that can lead to strokes and heart attacks.
--snip--
Diesel soot contains more than 40 cancer-causing chemicals, including formaldehyde and benzene. ...
--snip--
The crackdown is supported by the American Lung Association of California, the Sierra Club, the California Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics.
But critics, led by the California Trucking Association, the California Chamber of Commerce and roughly 100 other business groups, say the proposed rule would deal a crippling blow to the state's truckers at a time when the economy already is in recession.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Wonderful. And that's probably just the tip of the iceberg. How much will they reduce mileage per gallon? How often will they have to be replaced? How many new inspection stations will the state have to build, and how many public employee union workers will the state have to hire, to inspect these trucks?
And what will this do to neighboring states, whose truckers have to pass through California or make deliveries there?
Well, as Arnold just said, environment is priority one. Cost is no object.
Trucking companies from other states should just say “FU” to California.
“The filters - stainless steel and three feet long - attach to exhaust pipes and cost between $15,000 and $20,000 per truck.”
LOL Madness.
Maybe the port needs to move to Mexico and screw over all these idiots.
This will be passed along to the consumer. By consumer I mean EVERYBODY.
“Nichols, who is said to be on the short list of candidates to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Barack Obama, noted that California will provide $1 billion in low-interest loans and grants to help truckers comply with the rule. One major source of funding is from Proposition 1B, a transportation bond approved by California voters in 2006.”
You miss the point. The idea is to totally trash our economy, what better way to do that than by ruining the trucking industry? How much do you think this is going to add to the cost of doing business in CA? Not just for truckers but for everyone involved.
We must kick these left wing dumb a**es out of office and take back our country!
At one time diesels were considered safe to operate underground as they put out less carbon monoxide than gas engines, hard to believe huh?
Why is California determined to absolutely wreck themselves?
Oh well, maybe it’s time for a proposition to state something to the effect that California will comply with Federal pollution standards and NOTHING MORE.
Having it on the ballot when state unemployment reaches 20% might just give it a chance at winning (and it would be great to leave NY, NJ and the other California wannabees in the lurch).
And privately owned diesel pickup trucks? Will the state go after my F250?
Kill off the Independents, that's the game, pure and simple.
The big outfits don't like the competition from the Independent O/O's. Just like the Socialist's don't like Small Business - independent O/O's of their own business...
The Big Boys have been trying in sink the competition for years. Now, with the fuel prices, in the past year, 1,000 trucking companies have folded. The larger ones hanging on with the big benefit of being able to buy fuel ‘bulk’ - still, they have parked thousands of trucks and made their solo drivers team up.
The Independents are being crushed as they don't have the benefit of the bulk rates. Those that are still hanging on are doing so by their fingernails.
So now, the big guys - in partnership with their paid monkeys in gov’t - are going for the jugular. These filters they are going to force on them costs thousands of dollars. They know that right now, these truckers are lucky to have a dime left each week after expenses. They're on the edge of the cliff. So the paid monkeys are going to push them over.
You can bet there's money filling pockets on this one. And there are still some of the bigger companies that are only hanging on - They're trying to replace their fleets as fast as possible - greatly hindered by the cost of fuel on one end ...which had precipitated a huge reduction in shipping on the other end. Accelerating the installation of these filters on their fleets is going to have adverse consequences.
I hope Californians are ready to line up in long queues, ala Communist Russia, waiting for the far fewer trucks bringing loads to the super markets.
Welcome to the land of Big Daddy who's 'here to protect you." Welcome to the United Socialist States of America.
Note to self....take a stainless steel welding course....and purchase a lazer micro hole drill.
Fine. All trucks stay out of Kaleefornia, I’m curious how they would make a living. I know there’s some conservative folks in CA but I would say that the time for “gettin’ “ is now.
Southern CA will be the property of the pachucos, Raza Unida and all the Reconquista bunch soon, you’ve lost that fight what with the friggin’ ILLEGAL ALIENS, good luck.
Good luck getting goods.
““The filters - stainless steel and three feet long - attach to exhaust pipes and cost between $15,000 and $20,000 per truck.”
Those rules are already in place.
A good friend has a lowbed service and he either has to install the exaust equipment in less than 3 years or replace the engine.
Even if he does the exust retrofit it will only be good for 3 years unless they change the rule he will have to replace the engine.
Since he’s 70 he’s not sure which way he wants to go at this point.
Just cant get past this sentence.
What the article doesn’t mention is that the current law also covers all stationary and construction diesel equipment, most of which requires engine replacement.
My, I’m so fed up with this horseshit!
I have lot’s to say about this, but I’m totally out of breath.
I hate this state!
Im not a fan of huge overregulation, but have you seem the smog ‘river’ coming in to LA off the freeway. It literally looks like a lake
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