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October 29, 2010 By: Pit & Quarry StaffMike Kennedy, general counsel for the Associated General Contractors of America, released the following statement on an amended off-road diesel emissions rule by the California Air Resources Board. The board still must approve the rule at its December meeting.
“The amended off-road diesel emissions rule published by the California Air Resources Board brings California’s 550,000 remaining construction workers one step closer to much-needed relief. The revised rule reflects an earnest, good-faith effort by the board’s staff to both delay and scale back many of the regulation’s original mandates. As we agreed, the rule has been delayed by four years, annual emissions reduction requirements have been eased and contractors will receive credit for their voluntary efforts to reduce the emissions of their off-road diesel fleets. These changes will save contractors a minimum of $1.5 billion compared to the earlier rule, according to the board’s initial estimates, while ensuring greater overall emissions reductions.
“While we continue to work through a number of technical challenges associated with this new rule, we believe the changes now on the table will give California’s construction contractors the time they require to recover from the economic downturn. More important, we are demonstrating that the best way to reduce diesel emissions is to give the latest technology time to make its way into the marketplace. Newly manufactured equipment is getting cleaner every year, and as newer vehicles replace older ones, the debate over retroactive mandates will likely dissipate. This is how we have improved the gas mileage of our automobiles, and it remains the best way to reduce off-road diesel emissions. We encourage the board’s members to approve this new rule during their December meeting."
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