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Capurro Trucking and Republic Services have agreed to pay settlements of $100,000 for alleged violations of the California Air Resources Board’s Truck and Bus Regulations, the US EPA announced December 11.
Capurro Trucking paid a civil penalty of $119,162 and Republic Services paid a civil penalty of $100,000 to settle the claims. The Republic settlement covers 30 entities related to the carrier, which is transitioning its fleet nationwide away from diesel.
Neither company responded to a request for comment.
“National truck fleets operating in California must comply with our state’s truck and bus rule that regulates hazardous air pollution,” said Martha Guzman, EPA Pacific Southwest administrator. “Corporate responsibility protects the environment and public health, particularly among burdened California communities that bear the brunt of pollution from heavy-duty diesel trucks.”
The regulation for trucks and buses was first created by CARB in 2008, requiring diesel truck owners to install exhaust filters in order to reduce particulate pollution. The regulation was amended over time, and its final deadline of January 1, 2023 required all trucks subject to the regulation to have 2010 model year engines or equivalent emissions from their vehicles.
It is unclear how many vehicles the companies operate are allegedly out of compliance. The US EPA did not respond to a request for comment.
In recent years, CARB has supplemented the truck and bus regulation with a series of climate-focused regulations. The Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which was EPA approval granted Moving forward this year, put truck manufacturers on a schedule to produce more zero-emission vehicles for purchase in the state. About a dozen states have since fully adopted the ACT rule or are working toward adopting it; more states are still considering adopting it.
CARB too passed the Advanced Clean Fleets rule This year. The rule complements the ACT by requiring fleet owners of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to incorporate an increasing percentage of zero-emission vehicles into their fleets over the next two decades. Junk fleets won a delayed implementation schedule in Advanced Clean Fleets;in part due to recognition of the investments that carriers have made in vehicles powered by compressed natural gas.
Republic Services is moving aggressively to incorporate lower emission vehicle types into its fleet. Earlier this yearCEO Jon Vander Ark said he hopes the company will have 50 zero-emission trucks in operation by the end of 2024 and aims to make more than a quarter of its annual truck purchases with electric batteries by 2025.
The company’s total fleet amounts to approximately 17,000 vehicles, per Republic most recent sustainability report. Republic uses RNG to power its CNG-powered vehicles and launched its first fully integrated electric collection truck this year, manufactured by McNeilus and Oshkosh.
Colin Campbell contributed to this article.