Trucking industry finds fault with state's air pollution plan
Proposed state regulations that would reduce harmful pollutants are drawing criticism from Southern California's trucking and logistics industries and other business interests.
The Legislature passed AB 32, also called the Global Warming Solutions Act, in 2006, and state officials hope to enact some of its measures by November. The goal is to roll back greenhouse gas emissions in California to 1990 levels by 2020.
AB 32 makes the California Air Resources Board responsible for monitoring greenhouse gasses and crafting rules to control them.
The proposed regulations to implement AB 32 would affect anyone who drives a large long-haul truck in California, including trucks from other states. It would assess fines for non-compliance on all levels of the surface-road supply chain, including the distribution centers where trucks are loaded and unloaded.
Rules, which would be phased in over a five-year period, include retrofitting trucks with devices that reduce drag at high speeds to cut fuel consumption, and tires with different designs. Other rules would control the amount of time a big rig could sit with its engine running.
Eric Sauer, vice president for policy development for the California Trucking Association, said of all the regulatory actions he's seen, "this is the strangest one." He said a truck has to travel at 62 miles per hour -- 7 mph faster than the truck speed limit -- to take full advantage of the aerodynamic retrofits the state is boosting.
"I think they're struggling to create viable regulations," Sauer said. "But this is not manageable."
Truck drivers could be fined $50 for not complying, but for a distribution center the fine could be $1,000. A third-party warehouse, which sorts and stores goods for other companies, would be forced to police its customer trucking firms, said William Butler, president and chief executive officer for Santa Fe Springs-based Weber Distribution.
"I see the intent, and I don't know anyone who doesn't support green in California, but they're putting the onus on distribution centers," Butler said. "There's no logic to that. It's a truck owner that has responsibility."
Weber said the state is trying to pass its enforcement duties to private industries. His company, which has warehouses in Redlands, Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga, also owns a truck fleet. He said it will comply with the regulations, but "we want to see the logic behind the enforcement of the laws."
Stephan Lemieux, manager of the Mobile Source Control Division for the California Air Resources Board, spoke to a group of industry executives Wednesday in Whittier. Lemieux said these measures would save an estimated 1,110 gallons of fuel a year for the average long-haul trucker while reducing carbon dioxide emissions, a major contributor of greenhouse gasses.
He said cost of the retrofits, between $7,000 and $9,000 per truck, would be paid off in a few years through lower fuel bills, but he admitted the up-front cost would be passed on to consumers, who would eventually benefit from cleaner air and more trucking efficiency.
"I know the industry is going through a tough time right now. It's important to get this right," Lemieux said. "Shippers and warehouses may argue they have nothing invested, but as a society we have to start working on this thing."
Short-haul truckers, defined as those who stay within 100 miles of home base and drive less than 50,000 miles a year, would be exempt from these regulations.
