California Air Resources
Board conducted random inspections of drayage trucks moving through the Port of
Oakland this week.
CARB inspectors were at
the port Aug. 28 through 30 checking trucks, mostly via random selection to ensure
they had the proper emission filters and were properly registered.
The inspections were part
of the air board’s “Gear Up for Clean Truck Month” campaign, where various agencies,
including the California Highway Patrol, team to ensure that rigs are complying
with California’s air pollution laws.
“Our goal this month is
to do everything in our power to make sure truckers know the rules and that they
understand how to comply,” CARB Executive Officer James Goldstene said of the campaign.
CARB spokeswoman Beth White
said that although some inspections at the port were random, some rigs were being
targeted due to various reasons, such as if they were older models or were emitting
black smoke.
Violators could be punished
with fines ranging from $300 to $1,800 and include mandatory completion of an air
pollution emissions course.
“Focusing on enforcement
gives us the chance not only to educate drivers on why the regulations are important
but also to ensure that truck owners investing in cleaner equipment are on a level
playing field with those who are not playing by the rules,” Goldstene said.
Under CARB rules, all heavy-duty
trucks with engines built before 2007 must be fitted with diesel filters that reduce
certain kinds of emissions by more than 80 percent.
